Brian Flores, the former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the NFL, the New York Giants, the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins organizations alleging racial discrimination.
Flores, who is Black, says in his lawsuit that the Giants interviewed him for their vacant head coaching job under disingenuous circumstances, as Flores had found out three days before his interview that the Giants had already decided to hire Brian Daboll. Flores says he learned this after receiving a congratulatory text message from New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick that was sent in error. «Sounds like you have landed — congrats!!» Belichick texted to Flores, according to screen grabs of the conversation presented in Flores’ lawsuit. «Did you hear something I didn’t hear?» Flores replied. «Giants?!?!?!» Belichick texted. «I interview on Thursday,» Flores wrote. «I think I have a shot at it.» «Got it — I hear from Buffalo & NYG that you are their guy,» Belichick replied. Later, Flores sought clarification. «Coach, are you talking to Brian Flores or Brian Daboll,» Flores asked. «Just making sure.» «Sorry — I f**ked this up,» Belichick answered. «I doubled checked & I misread the text. I think they are naming Daboll. I’m sorry about that. BB» Flores alleges in his lawsuit that his interview with the Giants was a ruse so the team could «demonstrate falsely to League Commissioner Roger Goodell and the public at large that it was in compliance with the Rooney Rule.» The NFL instituted the Rooney Rule in 2003 in an effort to increase diversity among the NFL’s head coaching, general manager and executive ranks. The rule requires every team to interview at least two external minority candidates for open head coaching positions, according to the NFL’s Football Operations website. Currently only one out of 27 head coaches employed in the NFL is Black, with five teams without a head coach in a league where roughly 70% of the players are Black. There are two other non-Black minority coaches — one of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent and one of Lebanese descent.
