Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores got a strong endorsement for NFL Coach of the Year from coaching legend Jimmy Johnson, who once held Flores’ job.
Jimmy Johnson: My NFL coach of the year is Brian Flores. #FinsUp
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) November 22, 2020
The praise for Flores is no doubt based on the Dolphins’ current success that’s seen them win their last five games entering Sunday’s matchup against the Denver Broncos.
In addition, Flores has put the Dolphins in a position to make the playoffs, just one season after the Dolphins’ horrific start to the 2019 season.
During the Dolphins’ first four games last season, they were outscored 163-26 and eventually dropped their first seven games.
However, over the final five games of the 2019 campaign, the Dolphins won three times and built momentum for this season. The team’s winning streak came after a bumpy 1-3 start.
Johnson, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year, knows what it’s like to take over a miserable team and then quickly rebuild it.
In 1989, he took over the Dallas Cowboys and promptly finished 1-15. Yet, three years later, he led the Cowboys to the first of two consecutive Super Bowl titles.
An abrupt falling out with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones led Johnson to resign in 1994 and then resurface with the Dolphins for four seasons beginning in 1996.
How far Flores takes the Dolphins during his tenure remains unknown, but he’s hoping to follow in the footsteps of a coach who knows how to build a champion.
