Former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has responded, through his lawyers, to the Houston Texans hiring Lovie Smith as their head coach.
In a statement, Flores, who slapped the league and several teams with a bombshell racial discrimination lawsuit last week, congratulated Smith and said he was happy the job went to a Black candidate.
But Flores' camp also didn't mince words in their assessment of why he lost out on the job, after it was widely reported that he was one of just three finalists, along with former Texans QB Josh McCown and Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
"We would be remiss not to mention that Mr. Flores was one of three finalists for the Texans' head coach position," the lawyers said, "and, after a great interview and mutual interest, it is obvious that the only reason Mr. Flores was not selected was his decision to stand up against racial inequality across the NFL."
Compared to McCown and Gannon, Flores was the only candidate with head coaching experience in the NFL. The former Patriots assistant went 24-25 in three years on the sidelines in Miami, including winning records in each of his final two seasons. McCown, 42, had never coached above the high school level.
Smith, 63, was promoted from assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. The former Bears and Buccaneers head coach went 89-87 in 11 seasons as a head coach, a run which included a Super Bowl appearance.
The promotion came as something of a surprise, however, after Smith was scarcely mentioned as a candidate.
The sudden development prompted suspicions that the Texans were in fact headed in another direction until they and the rest of the league were blindsided by Flores' suit.
In the court filings, Flores references the case of former Texans head coach David Culley, who was dismissed after just one year at the helm. The team officially cited "philosophical differences" as justification for Culley's firing.
"Mr. Flores' goal in bringing his case is to provide real opportunities for Black and minority candidates to be considered for coaching and executive positions within the NFL," the statement said.
The NFL, for its part, quickly responded to Flores' case last week, saying his claims were "without merit." Days later, Commissioner Roger Goodell conceded in a league memo that "there is much work to do" in regards to diversity in hiring.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio, when asked at Smith's introductory press conference about Flores' claim, said the lawsuit had nothing to do with their decision.
"I’ve known Brian a long time personally and professionally," Caserio said. "I have a lot of respect for Brian as a coach and a person. He was a part of this process. He’s been a good coach in this league for a number of years. Part of my responsibility was to spend time with as many quality candidates as possible and Brian was one of those."
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