When the Miami Dolphins made the decision to hire then-New England Patriots de facto defensive coordinator Brian Flores to serve as the team’s new head coach, the appropriate reaction wasn’t overly apparent. Flores had only recently taken over defensive play calling duties in New England — and the success of coaches off of the Bill Belichick tree never seemed to match the successes found in Foxboro.
But as this season has steadily churned forward, so too have the Miami Dolphins. Trades, injuries and setbacks all taken in stride, the Dolphins now find themselves with three wins on the season — three more than many pundits would have predicted at the beginning of the year (or after Miami’s Week 2 demolition against the Patriots and the subsequent trade of DB Minkah Fitzpatrick).
One man not surprised by Flores’ resilient approach and steady improvement? The executive director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Jim Nagy. Nagy offered a strong endorsement for Brian Flores and company after yesterday’s upset against the Philadelphia Eagles, suggesting that getting the Dolphins to three wins on the season should be enough of an accomplishment to warrant votes for Coach of the Year in 2019.
What the #dolphins are doing under Brian Flores is NOT a surprise to anyone that has played, scouted, or coached with him. True leader. While he realistically won’t win Coach-of-the-Year, getting this stripped-down team to 3 wins should earn him votes.
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) December 1, 2019
Nagy, who worked with Flores during his tenure as a scout for the New England Patriots earlier in his scouting career, has long supported the hiring of Flores. Back in January of 2019, Nagy provided words of support for Flores as a head coach to Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post.
“He’s got a great way with people,” said Nagy via Schad. “He’s a great teacher. The players respect him. I think younger coaches nowadays, there’s that fine line of being a player’s coach and trying to be one of the boys, to be one of the guys. A lot of guys cross that and they lost respect. Brian will never cross that line. I think it’s a slam-dunk hire for Miami.”
The more time Dolphins fans have to survey the live resume of Flores in Miami, the more it seems Nagy had this one pegged right on the button.
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