Brian Flores is speaking his truth, the truth of Hue Jackson, and the truth for many other black coaches in the NFL.
The former Miami Dolphins head coach announced on Tuesday that he was filing a class action suit against the NFL after he found out that his interview with the New York Giants was nothing more than a formality.
Flores showed text messages from Bill Bellichick congratulating him for getting the job prior to his interview. Those text messages were intended for Brian Daboll, who ultimately got the job. His story has made headlines all over.
“It was a range of emotions,” Flores said while appearing on “CBS Mornings” Wednesday. “Humiliation. Disbelief. Anger. I worked so hard to get where I am in football to become a head coach. To go in on what was a sham interview, I was hurt.”
Flores also claims that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 per loss. That’s where Hue Jackson comes in.
Before he assumed the role of head coach at Grambling State, he was a head coach for the Cleveland Browns. He claims he was offered a significant amount per loss as a head coach for the Browns by owner Jimmy Haslam. He has come out on social media in support of Flores, and says he can back up everything he’s saying.
Additionally, the executive director of Jackson’s foundation Kimberley Diemert said they had records that would support Flores’ case.
The Giants, meanwhile, are standing firm.
“We are pleased and confident with the process that resulted in the hiring of Brian Daboll,” the Giants said in a statement. “We interviewed an impressive and diverse group of candidates. The fact of the matter is, Brian Flores was in the conversation to be our head coach until the eleventh hour. Ultimately, we hired the individual we felt was most qualified to be our next head coach.”