A recently unsealed recruiting firm's report on Brian Flores has multiple examples of “racial stereotypes" and amounts to unlawful retaliation for the coach's discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, according to his lawyers.
The Korn Ferry report that was made public Tuesday — a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press — contains a list of six strengths and seven weaknesses which Flores' attorneys say show the league still uses racial stereotypes in hiring and is unlawfully retaliating against the coach for his lawsuit against the league alleging racial discrimination.
The report, which was first published by Front Office Sports, was prepared in connection with the Las Vegas Raiders' coaching vacancy in 2024. Flores is now the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
"The recently unsealed documents demonstrate two unfortunate, but unsurprising, realities,” attorney Michael J. Willemin wrote in a statement. “First, that Mr. Flores’ decision to hold the league and its teams accountable for systemic race discrimination has been met with unlawful retaliation. Second, discrimination continues to play a significant role in the hiring process for NFL Head Coaches, as evidenced by the fact that the candidate profile prepared for the Raiders leans heavily on racial stereotypes. We and Mr. Flores are committed to eradicating the institutional racism and retaliation that permeates the league, its teams and their partners.”
The NFL didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
One of the strengths listed says Flores is a “polished and a good presenter despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn (same as Mike Tyson). He was able to build a strong friendship with a billionaire’s son which gave him opportunities to socialize and learn how to build relationships with white-collar and upper-class individuals.”
Brownsville is a predominately Black and Hispanic neighborhood in Brooklyn.
One of the negatives says Flores “can fool you with his polish upwards. Has little people skills, lacks self-awareness and can sometimes exhibit erratic behavior. (Former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's) statements have opened the narrative that Brian was “pessimistic and adversarial” and his style “shattered his confidence.”
Other negatives listed included that Flores' “personality is unpredictable” and that he “once threatened violence to his GM and made irrational demands during an ownership meeting.”
The report goes on to say that a long-term senior executive said Flores "may have changed since, but he was the worst hiring decision we've ever made.”
The final negative was that the ongoing litigation related to the coach's discrimination case against the NFL could cause a distraction.
Flores, who is Black, sued the league and three teams in February 2022, alleging the league was “rife with racism” regarding its hiring practices when it comes to Black coaches. Flores had recently been fired from his head coaching job with the Miami Dolphins.
He was later joined in the lawsuit by fellow Black coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton.
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