Brian Flores, who’s suing the NFL, will sign up for the Steelers as a defensive trainer : NPR

Former Miami Dolphins head trainer Brian Flores has been employed as an assistant trainer via the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Wilfredo Lee/AP

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Wilfredo Lee/AP

Former Miami Dolphins head trainer Brian Flores has been employed as an assistant trainer via the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Wilfredo Lee/AP

Brian Flores, who filed a racial discrimination lawsuit towards the NFL and 3 of its groups, has been named senior defensive assistant and linebackers trainer of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I’m fascinated about Brian Flores becoming a member of our training workforce given his historical past of creating and educating defensive avid gamers throughout his time within the NFL,” Steelers Head Trainer Mike Tomlin mentioned in a observation. “Brian’s resume speaks for itself, and I stay up for him including his experience to lend a hand our workforce.”

Flores used to be head trainer of the Miami Dolphins for 3 seasons beginning in 2019, main them to a 24-25 document. The Dolphins fired Flores with two years left on his contract, a wonder to many since Flores had successful information within the remaining two seasons. Flores used to be prior to now an established assistant trainer for the New England Patriots beneath Invoice Belichick.

The Steelers’ Tomlin is lately the NFL’s handiest Black head trainer, after Flores and Houston Texans trainer David Culley have been fired remaining month.

As NPR has reported, Flores mentioned in his lawsuit that the NFL is “controlled just like a plantation,” and that its 32 house owners, none of whom are Black, take advantage of the hard work of its avid gamers — 70% of whom are Black. He is looking for compensatory and punitive damages for the league’s different Black head coaches, offensive and defensive coordinators and quarterback coaches and common managers, in addition to African American applicants for the ones positions.

The lawsuit additionally fees that the NFL and its groups violated federal and state rules in New York and New Jersey.

Flores has charged that the Dolphins proprietor presented him $100,000 for every loss throughout his first season, urging him to tank the workforce’s efficiency with a purpose to get a greater draft pick out. He additionally mentioned he has passed through sham interviews for training jobs, during which groups handiest interviewed him to agree to the NFL coverage requiring groups to interview applicants of colour for head training and senior operation roles.

That coverage is referred to as the Rooney Rule, named after the overdue proprietor of the Steelers, Dan Rooney.

The NFL has employed former Legal professional Basic Loretta Lynch to shield the league within the lawsuit.

In an interview previous this month with NPR’s The Limits with Jay Williams, Flores mentioned he feels the lawsuit is a important sacrifice.

“This is not about me. That is about one thing that is a lot larger than me, which is a machine within the NFL that, for my part, is damaged so far as hiring practices for Black and minority coaches and minorities usually,” he mentioned.

Flores mentioned he realized in textual content messages with Belichick that the Giants had already made up our minds to rent any person else as their new trainer, even earlier than Flores had completed his remaining interview for the location.

“Interviews that Blacks and minorities have been happening, the place we were not getting a real alternative in the ones interviews to show off our skills,” mentioned Flores. “To stroll into an interview the place a choice’s already been made, that used to be the tipping level for me.”

Flores’ legal professionals, Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis, mentioned his prison combat will proceed.

“We congratulate Trainer Flores on his new place with the Steelers and thank Trainer Tomlin and the group for giving him this nice alternative,” the legal professionals mentioned in a statement. “Whilst Trainer Flores is now fascinated with his new place, he’s going to proceed along with his race discrimination magnificence motion in order that actual trade may also be made within the NFL.”