A recently unsealed recruiting report on Brian Flores contains numerous examples of “racial stereotyping” and what his attorneys say amounts to illegal retaliation for the coach’s discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.
A Korn Ferry report released Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press lists six strengths and seven weaknesses that Flores’ attorneys say demonstrate the league’s continued reliance on racial stereotypes in hiring and retaliation against the coach for alleged racial discrimination.
The report, first published by Front Office Sports, is based on the 2024 Las Vegas Raiders head coaching vacancy. Flores is currently the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.
“The recently unsealed documents reveal two unfortunate but surprising realities,” said attorney Michael J Willemin. “First, Mr. Flores’ decision to hold the league and his teams accountable for systemic racial discrimination was met with illegal retaliation. Second, discrimination continues to play a significant role in the hiring process of NFL Head Coaches, as evidenced by the Raiders’ candidate profile leaning heavily on raid stereotypes.”
Willemin added: “We and Mr. Flores are committed to eliminating the institutionalized racism and vindictiveness that permeates the league, its teams and its partners.”
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
One of the strengths listed in the report describes Flores as “polished and a good presenter despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn (a.k.a. Mike Tyson). He was able to form a strong friendship with the billionaire’s son, which gave him the opportunity to socialize and learn how to interact with white people and the upper class.”
Brownsville is a predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhood in Brooklyn.
One of the weaknesses, Flores says, is that Flores “can trick you by polishing up. People have little skill, lack self-awareness, and can sometimes exhibit erratic behavior.”
The report also cites former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as saying Flores is “pessimistic and competitive” and that his coaching style “shakes his confidence” as contributing to the narrative.
Other criticisms included claims that Flores had an “unpredictable personality” and “once threatened GM with violence and made ineffective demands during an ownership meeting.”
Flores “may have changed since then, but he was the worst hiring decision we ever made,” the report quoted an unnamed longtime executive as saying.
The final weakness listed was that Flores’ ongoing discrimination lawsuit against the NFL could be a distraction.
Flores, who is Black, sued the league and three teams in February 2022, alleging the NFL was “rife with racism” in its hiring practices involving Black coaches. He was recently fired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Two other black coaches, Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, also joined the lawsuit.