In the latest development in the Brian Flores lawsuit against the NFL for racial discrimination, a recruiting firm memo regarding Flores possessed examples of what his legal team labeled as racial stereotypes and talking points teams use in reference to potential Black head coach hires. A memo put together for the Las Vegas Raiders by the recruiter Korn Ferry during a recent head-coaching search became unsealed in court on Tuesday. It is part of the lawsuit from Flores — and former head coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton —against the league and six teams.
Front Office Sports obtained and published a copy of the memo on Tuesday. In the report, it was noted that he was "polished and a good presenter" despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, the same area as notorious heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson. Flores' lawyers argue the report assumes someone from the predominantly Black area of New York wouldn't have strong public speaking skills.
According to the NYU Furman Center, just over two-thirds of Brownsville's population, 67.6%, is Black. "Polished and a good presenter despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn (same as Mike Tyson)," the memo read, via Front Office Sports. "He was able to build a strong friendship with a billionaire's son which gave him opportunities to socialize and learn how to build relationships with white-collar and upper-class individuals." Flores' attorney, Michael Willemin, told Front Office Sports that the write-up paints Flores as an "angry Black man." Willemin pointed to the "polish upwards" reference in his "Weaknesses" section as a racial stereotype that downplays Flores' intelligence as a minority.
Other "Weaknesses" comments his lawyers point to in the report read: Flores, who has been the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator since 2023, following three seasons as the Miami Dolphins head coach (2019 to 2021), has the Vikings out to a 5-0 start in 2026. Their undefeated record is largely on the strength of his complex blitzing, disguise coverage scheme. Minnesota has the fewest touchdowns (9) during a 5-0 start since the 2003 Carolina Panthers, while Flores' defense ranks first in the NFL in scoring defense (12.8 points per game allowed) in 2026.
Flores' unit also leads the league in quarterback pressure rate (46.4%), sack rate (9.8%), blitz rate (69.8%), completion percentage allowed (53.2%) and passer rating allowed (62.9). Flores first sued the NFL in 2022 and was later joined by Wilks and Horton. The Tua Tagovailoa comments referenced in the report refer to when the ex-Dolphins quarterback labeled his former head coach as "a terrible person" in 2024.
Tagovailoa, who is now the back-up quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons, said Flores shook his confidence that he could be an NFL quarterback. The current Vikings defensive coordinator responded to Tagovailoa's comments in August 2024, and he said he used that feedback to grow as a leader. "Look, I'm human," Flores said at the time, specifically when asked about Tagovailoa's "terrible person" depiction.
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