The Baltimore Ravens fired HC John Harbaugh after 18 years and already have a small list of names that they reportedly plan to interview for the opening. Among those is a former Pittsburgh Steelers assistant who many thought Mike Tomlin should have never let leave the organization. According to Jordan Schultz, Brian Flores is set to interview for the Ravens’ head coach opening.
Flores got his first shot at being a head coach with the Miami Dolphins, a position he held from 2019 to 2021. His tenure ended in controversy after two straight winning seasons with reports citing poor collaboration with GM Chris Grier and QB Tua Tagovailoa. Grier is now gone, and Tagovailoa was benched at the end of the 2025 season. Flores opened a lawsuit against the NFL and the Dolphins alleging discrimination in their hiring and firing practices.
Mike Tomlin gave him a spot to land on his feet at the Steelers’ ILB coach for the 2022 season before he was hired by the Minnesota Vikings as their defensive coordinator, a post he had held for the last three seasons. Many in Pittsburgh thought Tomlin should have made Flores the team’s defensive coordinator rather than keeping Teryl Austin. Now he has a chance to lead the Steelers’ biggest rival.
Flores presided over a top-five scoring defense in 2024 when the Vikings finished 14-3, and he’s viewed as having one of the most sophisticated and aggressive defensive schemes in the league. He could be a great candidate to step in and fix the recent defensive woes that have tanked the Ravens’ last couple seasons.
The Ravens don’t seem dead-set on hiring a defensive-minded coach. Their reported interview pool is pretty balanced at the moment with Broncos DC Vance Joseph, Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver, Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, and Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak rounding out the current list. They are viewed as one of the top openings in the league, so there is a high likelihood they end up with a strong candidate to fill Harbaugh’s job.
Much like the Steelers, the Ravens value continuity, so if Baltimore hires Flores, expect to see a lot of him over the next decade or two.
