Ryan Poles And Kevin Warren Reportedly Interested In Resurging Coach
The Chicago Bears haven’t found a good head coach in over a decade. Every attempt they’ve made since 2013 has either disappointed or flopped catastrophically. Matt Eberflus falls into the latter category. Now, GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren face the tall task of finding the right guy to elevate the franchise to true competitive status. They feel they have a young, talented roster on the ascent. Caleb Williams looks like a bonafide franchise quarterback. The biggest remaining gulf between the Bears and the rest of the division is at head coach.
Some big names have already been connected to the job. Ben Johnson is the most popular for obvious reasons. His success with the Detroit Lions offense speaks for itself. Kliff Kingsbury, Mike Vrabel, and Marcus Freeman are others mentioned. However, a source informed SM that there is one notable name both Poles and Warren have a high opinion of. That is Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Poles was his teammate at Boston College. Warren has deep connections to Minnesota from his time working there from 2006 to 2019.
It appears Flores has done a good job rehabbing his image based on what ESPN recently reported.
He has turned Minnesota’s defense into a force, his players support him and he has taken steps behind the scenes so that he’s ready for his second chance (the NFL was very impressed in Flores’ leadership in helping younger coaches during last offseason’s accelerator program, for example).
Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren likely know the risks involved.
Flores is a polarizing figure. His last head coaching stint with the Miami Dolphins ended in controversy. After he was fired, he sued the NFL for racial discrimination, but that case remains unresolved. If that weren’t enough, he also drew significant criticism from his former quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, who called him a “terrible person.” This criticism stemmed from a browbeating coaching style that eroded the quarterback’s confidence. Flores didn’t fire back, merely stating he didn’t feel he was like that and felt hurt Tagovailoa felt that way.
Several players inside the Vikings organization have expressed outright puzzlement at this, having had a far more positive experience with the coach since he arrived last year.
One thing that can be said about Flores is he won games. After starting 0-6 in his Miami tenure, he went 24-18 the rest of the way with a roster that frankly wasn’t overly impressive. This was before the arrivals of guys like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb, Jalen Ramsey, and De’Von Achane. SM’s source indicated Flores has already crafted plans if he gets interviews this cycle. One of his most important moves would be bringing Brian Daboll with him as offensive coordinator. Expectations are that the New York Giants will fire Daboll after the season.
He and Flores worked together for six seasons in New England.
Ryan Poles and Kevin Warren haven’t made any decisions yet. They plan to thoroughly research every top candidate and meet with the ones they feel are best for the Bears. It sounds like Flores is one of them. Don’t forget he interviewed for the job back in 2022. That was before Poles was hired as GM, though. This time could be different.