Football coach Brian Flores plans to uphold his discrimination lawsuit against the NFL even if he has a new job with a team.
The 40-year-old made that clear on Wednesday in several appearances with his lawyers on US television. He is a head coach candidate for the New Orleans Saints and the Houston Texans. “I would love to lead an NFL team,” Flores told ESPN. He hopes that the lawsuit will change the thinking and hearts of the team owners of the 32 teams. “If I never coach again but there is a change then it was worth it,” he said.
Flores sued the NFL on February 1, alleging that the league discriminates against blacks in coaching applications because of their skin color. In the NFL, teams are required by rule to invite minority representatives to interview for job openings. Flores complains that this is often done with no intention of giving these candidates a real chance. The class action lawsuit also targets the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and Miami Dolphins. The league and the three teams have denied the allegations in statements.
“We cheat our fans”
Flores received support from the head coach of the Washington Commanders, Ron Rivera, among others. The only NFL head coach with a Hispanic background, while unveiling his team’s new team name, said Flores deserved a job in the NFL. “This is a very accomplished coach,” Rivera said. “I can see the frustration and I can feel the frustration. It’s almost like this is his last option. How can someone like him be left out of the jobs?”
Former NFL coach Tony Dungy wrote an open letter to the 32 team owners, urging them to change their approach to filling coaching positions. “We deceive our fans and we deceive ourselves. And they are the only ones who can put this right,” he wrote. More than his own experiences, it pains him that African Americans still face the same obstacles 30 years after he started in the NFL.