Brian Flores declares ‘I’ve evolved’ in response to Tua Tagovailoa criticism
On Monday a portion of an interview between Tua Tagovailoa and Dan LeBetard on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” was released. In that clip the Miami Dolphins quarterback compared the coaching styles of Mike McDaniel and Brian Flores.
And the comparison painted Flores in a rather harsh light.
“If you woke up every morning and I told you [that] you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong doing what you do, that you shouldn’t be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven’t earned this right, and then you have somebody else come in and tell you, ‘Dude, you are the best fit for this,’” Tagovailoa said, “how would it make you feel listening to one or the other?”
Tagovailoa even went on to refer to Flores as a “terrible person” in the full interview.
Speaking Tuesday at Minnesota Vikings training camp, where Flores is the current defensive coordinator, the former Dolphins coach praised his former quarterback before pivoting to his evolution.
“I’m genuinely, genuinely happy for the success that Tua has had,” Flores said, “and I really wish him nothing but the best.”
Flores then turned inward with his comments, made during a 17-minute press availability.
“I think part of coaching is correcting,” Flores said. “I’m always going to correct. I’m always going to have a high standard. And I think, look, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on the situation, reflecting on the situation and communication. I think there’s things that I could do better for sure, and I’ve grown in that way, and I’ve tried to apply the things that I could do better and the things that I’ve learned over the last two, three 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.”
The Vikings coach then admitted that Tagovailoa calling him a “terrible person” impacted him in a way that was not “positive.”
“Look, I’m human,” Flores said in response to that portion of the interview. “So that hit me in a way that wasn’t … positive for me. But at the same time, I’ve got to use that and say, ‘Hey, how can I grow from that? How can I be better?’ And that’s really where I’m at from that standpoint. Do I feel like that’s me? No. But how can I grow from that situation and create a world where that’s not the case that anyone says that about Brian Flores?”
As his remarks drew to a close Flores stated that he wishes nothing but the best for his former quarterback.
“I want to make that same kind of impact, positive impact, pour into young people,” Flores said, “helping them become as [Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell says] all the time, the best versions of themselves. And that’s really my goal, always at coaching. So I wish nothing but the best to Tua and really more than anything, I’m just focused on the 2024 Vikings and the players we have.”
As we argued on Monday, Tagovailoa’s comments — in particular the portion relating to how his current coach Mike McDaniel utilizes positive reinforcement — offered a roadmap for many football coaches to follow when dealing with their players.
If Flores can evolve in a similar light, perhaps this story has a happy ending.
