Dolphins news: Brian Flores sees coaching as a product of leadership, not offensive or defensive genius

Brian Flores, by all accounts, is a defensive genius, but he'll be relying on his sense of leadership more than anything else to turn around the Dolphins.

Brian Flores, unquestionably, is one of the brightest defensive minds in all of football. His rapid ascent to defensive play-caller for the New England Patriots last season was enough evidence of that reality, but his former team's defensive performance in Super Bowl LIII made Flores' strategic bona fides clear to a global audience. Introduced as head coach of the Miami Dolphins less than 24 hours after the Patriots held the Los Angeles Rams, one of the most explosive offenses in league history, to three points en route to a Vince Lombardi Trophy, the expectation is that Flores will craft the Dolphins into one of the league's most feared defenses.

That prospect may very well come to pass. Flores, though, won't be relying on his mastery of modern defensive concepts to lead Miami back to contention. Why? The most influential attribute head coaches can have, Flores believes, isn't related to game-planning or in-game adjustments, but the air of leadership they project.

“I think being a head coach in the NFL is about leadership,” he told Chris Perkins of The Athletic. “I don’t think it’s about offense or defense or special teams. I think it’s about leadership.”

Flores, 37, began his coaching career in 2004, catching on as a scouting assistant with the Patriots after his playing career was cut short by an injury suffered in his final season at Boston College. He quickly rose through the ranks from there, assisting with special teams and the offense before shifting his focus to defense full time beginning in 2011. Following last season’s departure of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, Belichick expanded Flores’ responsibilities to include calling the defensive plays on game day, in addition to coaching New England’s linebackers.

He hopes to turn around a Dolphins team that went 7-9 last season under former coach Adam Gase, and seems to be taking a patient, prudent approach to re-building given how general manager Chris Grier has stockpiled draft picks and increased Miami's long-term financial flexibility so far this offseason.