Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores shall be among the many 27 individuals within the NFL’s fifth accelerator program, an occasion hosted by the league to strengthen the pipeline of various candidates for entrance workplace and training positions, on the league conferences in Nashville, Tennessee, subsequent week.
Flores, a longtime New England Patriots assistant earlier than changing into the top coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019-21, filed a lawsuit in 2022 in opposition to the NFL and several other groups alleging racial discrimination in its hiring practices. After being fired by the Dolphins, Flores spent a season with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach earlier than taking the Vikings defensive coordinator place in 2023.
Final July, a federal choose dominated that Flores can proceed to trial together with his claims in opposition to the league and three groups: the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Houston Texans. The choose dominated final March that Flores should pursue his claims in opposition to the Dolphins by means of arbitration.
Flores wasn’t an official participant in this system ultimately yr’s spring conferences, however with the occasion participating in Minneapolis he walked over to see a couple of individuals who participated. Final yr, he referred to as this system “nice” and added that “publicity results in enlargement. That is an actual and true assertion.”
The Coach Accelerator program, which started in 2022, follows the Entrance Workplace Accelerator program held on the December league conferences in Dallas. Subsequent week’s occasion will even embrace faculty coaches for the primary time.
2024 Coach Accelerator individuals
CoachTeamTerry BradenChiefsMarcus Brady<<ChargersMike Caldwell<<RaidersMichael ClayEaglesBrian FloresVikingsPep Hamilton<<-Al HolcombBillsShawn JeffersonJetsJerrod Johnson<<TexansMike KafkaGiantsThaddeus Lewis<<BuccaneersCharles London<<SeahawksBrandon LynchBrownsT.C. McCartneyPatriotsRon Middleton<<JetsScottie Montgomery<<LionsNate ScheelhaaseRamsKarl ScottSeahawksDavid Shaw-DeAndre SmithColtsEric Washington<<BearsLunda WellsCowboysMichael WilhoiteBroncosMarquice WilliamsFalconsRod WilsonChiefsDennard WilsonTitansIsrael WoolforkCardinals>>Earlier participant.
“Creating various teaching expertise by means of the Accelerator program is a key precedence,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stated in an announcement. “In its fifth iteration, this program continues to be an efficient avenue for membership homeowners and executives to be uncovered to the skillset and distinctive backgrounds of extremely certified teaching candidates, and for this system’s individuals to community with each other and interact in skilled improvement periods.”
The occasion goals to introduce and familiarize candidates from various backgrounds with the league’s decision-makers. Thanks partly to his participation within the inaugural 2022 accelerator program, Ran Carthon was employed final yr because the Tennessee Titans’ normal supervisor from his submit because the San Francisco 49ers’ director of participant personnel.
Not one of the individuals of the 2023 teaching accelerator program landed head-coaching jobs in the newest hiring cycle, however a number of accepted new coordinator positions, together with former Buffalo Payments defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who was employed this yr to Mike Macdonald’s Seattle Seahawks employees as assistant head coach.
“Since its inception, the Teaching Accelerator has ready candidates to achieve varied teaching roles whereas cultivating relationships with executives and key resolution makers,” Mark Wilf, Vikings proprietor and president, stated in an announcement. “This system proves to be mutually useful for individuals and golf equipment because it breaks down obstacles to entry and academic instruments very important for fulfillment. I’m pleased with the progress already made and sit up for seeing the continual development of the Accelerator.”
Different individuals within the 2024 program embrace former Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Seahawks quarterbacks coach Charles London and Detroit Lions working backs coach Scottie Montgomery.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.