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Summary:
- Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has responded to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s “terrible person” remark.
- Flores issued a pacifying statement, wishing the quarterback “nothing but the best”.
- The defensive coordinator was Tagovailoa’s head coach for two seasons and was fired amid speculation of a tense relationship with the QB.
One day after NFL‘s Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s interview in which he called Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores a “terrible person” was published, the latter issued a pacifying statement during a 17-minute news conference.
Flores, who was the Dolphins’ head coach for the quarterback’s first two seasons in Miami from 2020 to 2021, wished the quarterback “nothing but the best” adding he was “genuinely, genuinely happy for the success that Tua has had“.
The defensive coordinator was fired at the start of 2022 following speculation regarding the tense relationship that he has with Tagovailoa.
Comparing Coaching Styles
In last week’s interview for “The Dan LeBatard Show”, the 26-year-old quarterback compared Flores with his current coach Mike McDaniel.
The player claimed that while the former used to tell him that he sucked at what he did and that he “shouldn’t be here” because he hasn’t “earned this right”, the latter used a completely different approach, making him feel like was “the best fit for this”.
“How would it make you feel listening to one or the other“, he continued.
Flores, who was joined in by Vikings safety Josh Metellus and defensive lineman Harrison Phillips, was heard speaking in a shaking voice, acknowledging his coaching style might not have been the best choice for some of the Miami players.
“I think part of coaching is correcting“, he explained, adding he will “always” correct his style and “have a high standard”.
After reflecting on the situation and the communication style he opted for, Flores concluded he could have done things better “for sure” while mentioning the growth he had experienced in the past years.
But I would say over the long haul, I’ve had a lot of great relationships over my 21-year career here in the league. Players, coaches, personnel, equipment, people in the kitchen. I mean really across the board, I’ve had a lot of great relationships. I’m going to continue to do that, but I’m also always looking to get better and involved.
Flores, Open to Communication
While it remains unclear when the two last interacted, Flores mentioned that he had considered reaching out to the American football quarterback as a means of helping both move on from the experience.
“Maybe if that time arises or is available, I’m certainly open to that“, he added.
During the controversial interview, Tagovailoa explained that having a “terrible person telling you things that you don’t want to hear or probably shouldn’t be hearing” would likely cause a person to start believing what he hears.
In his response, Flores called himself “human“, explaining Tagovailoa’s words hit him “in a way that wasn’t positive” but that he would use them to “grow from the situation” and get better.
He also took the opportunity to explain that he started coaching to make an impact on young people similarly to the way he was influenced by his own coaches when he played for Boston College.
