As the New York Giants’ pursuit for a general manager continues, the rumor mill continues to churn regarding their head coach search — and it includes Brian Flores.
According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan on Thursday, the Giants are high on the former Miami Dolphins head coach, and “the feeling is reciprocated.”
Big Blue won’t be making a head-coaching hire until their general manager is selected, which makes the candidacy of many coaches uncertain. However, Flores is expected to receive an interview regardless of who the Giants hire.
The potential of a homecoming for the Brooklyn native immediately adds intrigue. However, it’s Flores’ work with the Dolphins over the last three years that has made him such a hot commodity on the coaching market.
The 40-year-old took a Dolphins team he went 5-11 with in 2019 and won 10 games in 2020 before winning eight of the final nine games of the 2021 season. It was the first time in nearly two decades that the Dolphins had back-to-back winning seasons.
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Such success made his firing one of the surprises of the NFL’s early offseason stages, though he won’t stay a free agent for long. He’s already interviewed with the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears, but Raanan notes that the Giants “would be his first choice.”
Flores has connections to two of the Giants’ three perceived GM finalists, which are Giants GM are Buffalo Bills assistant general manager Joe Schoen, Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles, and San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager Adam Peters.
Flores worked with Peters while with the New England Patriots from 2004-2008 while he and Poles both attended Boston College — though their playing times did not overlap.
The Giants continue to do their due diligence elsewhere. They recently submitted a request to speak with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator and former Atlanta Falcons head coach, Dan Quinn.