New Dolphins Coach Brian Flores Says Miami Is 'Where I Wanted To Be'
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DAVIE (CBSMiami) - The Miami Dolphins have had their new head coach picked out for nearly a month, but couldn't put ink to paper until he was officially available.
A decision that was made several weeks ago was finally able to be announced on Monday as the Dolphins named Brian Flores the team's new head coach.
After helping the New England Patriots win Super Bowl LIII on Sunday night, Flores headed to South Florida straight from Atlanta.
CBS4 News spotted Flores and his family walking into the Dolphins Training Facility in Davie Monday afternoon, along with other top Dolphins officials including team owner Stephen Ross, President Tom Garfinkel and adviser Dan Marino.
WATCH FLORES ARRIVE HERE:
Meeting with the media in Davie, Flores starting by saying, "It's been a whirlwind 24 hours."
"I'm humbled. I'm grateful," he said. "I wasn't in a rush to become a head coach, I had a good job in New England. It's got to be the right fit. The right place. The right feel. I was excited when I came out of that meeting [with Miami]. That's where I wanted to be."
Flores was the first candidate interviewed for the Dolphins coaching vacancy. He was who the team targeted from day one.
"Two things that stand out immediately when you meet Brian are his football intelligence and leadership skills," General Manager Chris Grier said. "Brian is widely respected throughout the NFL. He paid his dues in New England working in personnel, on offense, defense and special teams, which helped him build a great understanding of what it takes to win."
Being with New England for fifteen years, Flores is quite familiar with the Dolphins.
That certainly includes Miami's struggles over the years, having made the playoffs just twice since the year 2000.
"We're going to do everything possible to win games, build a culture, and build a winner here," he said.
Flores' decision to pursue a head coaching position was one he did not rush into. He made sure to find a team and front office that fit into what he wanted to do as a head coach.
"Our vision and our core philosophy of how to build a team are aligned," Flores said of the Dolphins. "I told them when they interviewed [me] if our core beliefs aren't aligned, don't hire me."
That's a sentiment that was shared by Grier, who made clear that he did his homework before hiring Flores.
"If you talk with anyone who has played for him or worked with him, you will hear about his ability to lead and get the most out of people," said Grier. "Brian sets a high standard for his players and coaches and we are completely aligned with our vision on how to build a successful organization."
It's no secret that Miami isn't expected to be very competitive in 2019 as the team looks to rebuild following two decades of mediocrity.
That doesn't mean Flores won't be pushing his players to strive for victory every single week.
"Every week, we're going to go out there with the idea that we're going to win a game," he said. "There'll be some pain, we know that. But there's pain for every team."
