Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores delivered a stern message on Tuesday when he filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the NFL and its teams, alleging racial discrimination in the league's hiring process. In a statement he issued on the first day of Black History Month, Flores encouraged other Black coaches to join his lawsuit and share stories of "systemic racism in the NFL," ESPN reports.
Respect to Brian Flores pic.twitter.com/ilOLrwXBO1
— PFF (@PFF) February 1, 2022
"God had gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is bigger than my person goals," the plaintiff said in a statement, according to USA Today. "In making the decision to file the (complaint), I understand that I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against system racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come."
Flores shared evidence of a conversation he had with another coach.
Flores, who was fired by the Dolphins despite a winning season, said he has been subjected to sham interviews while searching for a coaching position with other teams. As evidence, the former Miami coach shared screenshots of recent text messages he received from New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick who may have accidentally exposed the New York Giants.
In his text message to Flores, Belichick congratulated him for getting the Giants' job. Flores, however, hadn't interviewed with the Giants at that point.
"Coach are you talking to Brian Flores or Brian Daboll? Just making sure," Flores wrote to the Patriots coach after receiving the message.
"Sorry. I f**ked this up," Belichick wrote as the two tried to clear up the confusion. "I double checked and I misread the text. I think they are naming Daboll."
A day after they interviewed Flores, the Giants announced Daboll as their next head coach. In his complaint, Flores said the Giants only interviewed him to satisfy the Rooney Rule which requires teams to interview at least two external minority candidates for coaching and executive vacancies.
“It has been nearly 20 years since the NFL implemented the Rooney Rule, which requires NFL teams to interview diverse candidates for vacant Head Coach, General Manager, Coordinator and other senior positions,” Flores’ legal team said in a statement. “However, as the (complaint) makes clear, the Rooney Rule is not working. As alleged, management does not conduct these interviews in good faith, which creates a stigma that these Black candidates are only interviewed to comply with the Rooney Rule and not because of their qualifications."
His legal team said he was forced to sit through performative interviews.
According to the attorneys, Flores is an eminently qualified Black man who was considered the top candidate for the New York Giants’ open head coach position. The 40-year-old, according to the reps, would have made become the first Black head coach in the Giants’ nearly 100-year history.
“Instead, as alleged, the Giants made the decision to hire Brian Daboll — and disclosed that decision to third parties — during a time when the Giants were scheduled to still interview Mr. Flores," the legal team said. "Thus, last week, Mr. Flores was forced to sit through an extensive interview process, knowing that the Giants had already selected a white man for the position.”
The Giants refute the allegations.
“We are pleased and confident with the process that resulted in the hiring of Brian Daboll,” the team's officials said. “We interviewed an impressive and diverse group of candidates. The fact of the matter is, Brian Flores was in the conversation to be our head coach until the eleventh hour. Ultimately, we hired the individual we felt was most qualified to be our next head coach.”
He's also bringing allegations against the Miami Dolphins' owner.
Flores has also brought accusations against Dolphins owner Stephen Ross who allegedly offered to pay him $100,000 to lose games on purpose and subsequently improve the team’s draft position in 2019. Additionally, Flores said Ross pressured him to recruit a “prominent quarterback in violation of League tampering rules.”
"We are aware of the lawsuit through media reports that came out this afternoon," the Dolphins said in a statement. "We vehemently deny any allegations of racial discrimination and inclusion throughout our organization. The implication that we acted in a manner inconsistent with the integrity of the game is incorrect. We will be withholding further comment on the lawsuit at this time."
Adding allegations against the Denver Broncos, Flores said the team gave him a sham interview in 2019 before they hired Vic Fangio who is white. According to the complaint, Broncos' officials showed up late to the interview after "drinking heavily the night before."
The league, however, said Flores' allegations "are without merit."
Another coach may join Flores' lawsuit against the NFL.
Former Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson, who spoke Wednesday on ESPN's SportsCenter, said he would be willing to join Flores' class action lawsuit "if that's what needs to happen."
"I'm not afraid to stand behind Brian when it comes to anything, because I know what our men go through, and I don't want this for the men that come behind me, at all," Hue said.
Raising allegations against the Browns, Hue said the team had a plan that incentivized losing during his first two years on the job, which ultimately resulted in a 1-31 record for the coach before he was fired.
"I went to arbitration in this case against the Browns where I didn't win anything," Jackson said. "People don't understand that I tried to sound this alarm."
