Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores might be among the many 27 contributors within the NFL’s fifth accelerator program, an occasion hosted by the league to strengthen the pipeline of various candidates for entrance workplace and training positions, on the league conferences in Nashville, Tennessee, subsequent week.
Flores, a longtime New England Patriots assistant earlier than turning into the top coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019-21, filed a lawsuit in 2022 towards the NFL and a number of other groups alleging racial discrimination in its hiring practices. After being fired by the Dolphins, Flores spent a season with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach earlier than taking the Vikings defensive coordinator place in 2023.
Final July, a federal choose dominated that Flores can proceed to trial along with his claims towards the league and three groups: the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Houston Texans. The choose dominated final March that Flores should pursue his claims towards the Dolphins by means of arbitration.
Flores wasn’t an official participant in this system eventually 12 months’s spring conferences, however with the occasion participating in Minneapolis he walked over to see a couple of individuals who participated. Final 12 months, he known as this system “nice” and added that “publicity results in growth. That is an actual and true assertion.”
The Coach Accelerator program, which started in 2022, follows the Entrance Workplace Accelerator program held on the December league conferences in Dallas. Subsequent week’s occasion can even embody school coaches for the primary time.
2024 Coach Accelerator contributors
CoachTeamTerry BradenChiefsMarcus Brady<<ChargersMike Caldwell<<RaidersMichael ClayEaglesBrian FloresVikingsPep Hamilton<<-Al HolcombBillsShawn JeffersonJetsJerrod Johnson<<TexansMike KafkaGiantsThaddeus Lewis<<BuccaneersCharles London<<SeahawksBrandon LynchBrownsT.C. McCartneyPatriotsRon Middleton<<JetsScottie Montgomery<<LionsNate ScheelhaaseRamsKarl ScottSeahawksDavid Shaw-DeAndre SmithColtsEric Washington<<BearsLunda WellsCowboysMichael WilhoiteBroncosMarquice WilliamsFalconsRod WilsonChiefsDennard WilsonTitansIsrael WoolforkCardinals>>Earlier participant.
“Creating various teaching expertise by means of the Accelerator program is a key precedence,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned in a press release. “In its fifth iteration, this program continues to be an efficient avenue for membership house owners and executives to be uncovered to the skillset and distinctive backgrounds of extremely certified teaching candidates, and for this system’s contributors to community with each other and interact in skilled growth periods.”
The occasion goals to introduce and familiarize candidates from various backgrounds with the league’s decision-makers. Thanks partially to his participation within the inaugural 2022 accelerator program, Ran Carthon was employed final 12 months because the Tennessee Titans’ common supervisor from his put up because the San Francisco 49ers’ director of participant personnel.
Not one of the contributors of the 2023 teaching accelerator program landed head-coaching jobs in the latest hiring cycle, however a number of accepted new coordinator positions, together with former Buffalo Payments defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who was employed this 12 months to Mike Macdonald’s Seattle Seahawks workers as assistant head coach.
“Since its inception, the Teaching Accelerator has ready candidates to reach varied teaching roles whereas cultivating relationships with executives and key determination makers,” Mark Wilf, Vikings proprietor and president, mentioned in a press release. “This system proves to be mutually useful for contributors and golf equipment because it breaks down limitations to entry and academic instruments important for fulfillment. I’m pleased with the progress already made and stay up for seeing the continual progress of the Accelerator.”
Different contributors within the 2024 program embody former Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Seahawks quarterbacks coach Charles London and Detroit Lions operating backs coach Scottie Montgomery.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.
