Flores has alleged he used to be given duties he does now not suppose would were required of white head trainer all the way through his three-year spell with Miami Dolphins; the 40-year-old used to be let cross by means of the franchise in January and is now on Pittsburgh Steelers’ body of workers; Flores has filed lawsuit in opposition to NFL
Remaining Up to date: 22/02/22 8:03pm
Brian Flores has alleged that he used to be given duties he does now not suppose would were required of a white head trainer all the way through his time on the Miami Dolphins
Former Miami Dolphins head trainer Brian Flores believes race used to be an element within the NFL crew’s determination to fireside him in January.
Talking at the I Am Athlete podcast, Flores alleged he used to be given duties he does now not suppose would were required of a white head trainer.
Flores – lately employed as a senior defensive assistant for the Pittsburgh Steelers – filed a class-action lawsuit in opposition to the NFL alleging racist hiring practices and has no plans to desert the lawsuit in spite of his go back to training within the league.
Flores – who led Dolphins to a 24-25 file over 3 years – mentioned at the podcast: “I believe race performed a task in my firing. What I imply by means of this is, there have been issues I used to be requested to do. There have been conversations that had been had.
“I used to be made out to be a troublesome particular person to paintings with. I believe my white opposite numbers should not have been requested to do the issues I used to be requested to do.”
Flores didn’t be offering specifics on what the Dolphins requested of him that he regarded as racially-based.
Flores has filed a lawsuit in opposition to the NFL for alleged racist hiring practices
The 40-year-old is now on a body of workers led by means of Mike Tomlin, considered one of 3 Black head coaches within the NFL along Houston’s Lovie Smith and Miami’s Mike McDaniels, who identifies as biracial.
Flores interviewed for the Houston process that in the long run went to Smith and has maintained he used to be now not employed as a result of his pending litigation in opposition to the league.
Pittsburgh total supervisor Kevin Colbert insisted previous this week that Flores’ hiring used to be according to his good fortune, with the Brooklyn-born trainer wining 4 Tremendous Bowl rings all the way through his time at the New England Patriots body of workers and making the defensive calls all the way through a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 that gave the franchise its 6th identify general.
Colbert mentioned: “I believe (the hiring) says that we employed an excellent high quality defensive trainer that may perhaps lend a hand us win video games and actually past that, there may be not anything else to mention.”
What’s the Rooney Rule?
The Rooney Rule used to be presented in 2003 as a method of making sure minority coaches can be interviewed for high-level training roles across the NFL within the wake of the contentious firings of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head trainer Tony Dungy and Minnesota Vikings head trainer Dennis Inexperienced.
The guideline is known as after former Pittsburgh Steelers proprietor Dan Rooney, who used to be the previous chairman of the league’s range committee.
Dungy had recorded only one shedding season in his six years in Tampa, the place he made the playoffs every 12 months, whilst Inexperienced used to be coming off his first shedding marketing campaign in 10 years with the crew.
Flores (2nd from proper) has been appointed senior defensive assistant/linebackers trainer at Pittsburgh Steelers
In 2020, the NFL amended the Rooney Rule to outline groups should interview a minimum of two minority applicants now not related to their very own crew for a head training emptiness. Additionally, one minority candidate needs to be interviewed for coordinator positions in addition to high-ranking positions within the entrance workplace, together with the general-manager position.
“The Rooney Rule is meant to present minorities a possibility to take a seat down in entrance of possession, however I believe what it is was is an example the place guys are simply checking the field,” Flores mentioned.
“That is been the case. I have been on some interviews prior to now the place I have had that feeling.”
Reinbold: The machine is damaged
Talking previous this month, in a while after Flores filed his lawsuit in opposition to the NFL, Sky Sports activities NFL’s Jeff Reinbold mentioned: “The machine is damaged. You recognize the numbers: we’ve got were given one minority head trainer within the NFL, one minority proprietor.
“The NFL has put ahead methods looking to assist minority hiring and the hot button is, it’s only now not operating.
“Mr [Roger] Goodell goes to take the warmth for this however, who’s the Nationwide Soccer League? On this case it is the 32 house owners – they are those that do the hiring and the firing.
“What Flores has introduced forth is one thing that I believe has been understood for a very long time. For him to head and make those allegations public, and to sue the NFL, this has far-reaching ramifications.”
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