On Monday a portion of an interview between Tua Tagovailoa and Dan LeBetard on “The Dan Le Batard Present,” was launched. In that clip the Miami Dolphins quarterback in contrast the teaching types of Mike McDaniel and Brian Flores.
And the comparability painted Flores in a reasonably harsh gentle.
“In the event you wakened each morning and I informed you [that] you suck at what you probably did, that you just don’t belong doing what you do, that you just shouldn’t be right here, that this man ought to be right here, that you just haven’t earned this proper, after which you have got anyone else are available in and inform you, ‘Dude, you’re the greatest match for this,’” Tagovailoa stated, “how would it not make you’re feeling listening to 1 or the opposite?”
Tagovailoa even went on to refer to Flores as a “horrible individual” within the full interview.
Talking Tuesday at Minnesota Vikings coaching camp, the place Flores is the present defensive coordinator, the previous Dolphins coach praised his former quarterback earlier than pivoting to his evolution.
“I’m genuinely, genuinely pleased for the success that Tua has had,” Flores stated, “and I actually want him nothing however the perfect.”
Flores then turned inward together with his feedback, made throughout a 17-minute press availability.
“I feel a part of teaching is correcting,” Flores stated. “I’m at all times going to appropriate. I’m at all times going to have a excessive commonplace. And I feel, look, I’ve finished numerous reflecting on the state of affairs, reflecting on the state of affairs and communication. I feel there’s issues that I may do higher for positive, and I’ve grown in that method, and I’ve tried to use the issues that I may do higher and the issues that I’ve discovered over the past two, three years.
“However I might say over the lengthy haul, I’ve had numerous nice relationships over my 21-year profession right here within the league. Gamers, coaches, personnel, gear, individuals within the kitchen. I imply actually throughout the board, I’ve had numerous nice relationships. I’m going to proceed to do this, however I’m additionally at all times seeking to get higher and concerned.”
The Vikings coach then admitted that Tagovailoa calling him a “horrible individual” impacted him in a method that was not “optimistic.”
“Look, I’m human,” Flores stated in response to that portion of the interview. “In order that hit me in a method that wasn’t … optimistic for me. However on the identical time, I’ve bought to make use of that and say, ‘Hey, how can I develop from that? How can I be higher?’ And that’s actually the place I’m at from that standpoint. Do I really feel like that’s me? No. However how can I develop from that state of affairs and create a world the place that’s not the case that anybody says that about Brian Flores?”
As his remarks drew to a detailed Flores said that he needs nothing however the perfect for his former quarterback.
“I need to make that very same type of influence, optimistic influence, pour into younger individuals,” Flores stated, “serving to them turn into as [Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell says] on a regular basis, the perfect variations of themselves. And that’s actually my objective, at all times at teaching. So I want nothing however the perfect to Tua and actually greater than something, I’m simply targeted on the 2024 Vikings and the gamers we have now.”
As we argued on Monday, Tagovailoa’s feedback — particularly the portion referring to how his present coach Mike McDaniel makes use of optimistic reinforcement — supplied a roadmap for a lot of soccer coaches to observe when coping with their gamers.
If Flores can evolve in the same gentle, maybe this story has a cheerful ending.