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 kinds of Mike McDaniel and Brian Flores.
And the comparability painted Flores in a reasonably harsh mild.
“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’ve anyone else are available in and inform you, ‘Dude, you’re the finest match for this,’” Tagovailoa stated, “how would it not make you are feeling listening to at least one or the opposite?”
Tagovailoa even went on to refer to Flores as a “horrible particular person” 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 glad for the success that Tua has had,” Flores stated, “and I actually want him nothing however one of the best.”
Flores then turned inward along with his feedback, made throughout a 17-minute press availability.
“I believe a part of teaching is correcting,” Flores stated. “I’m all the time going to appropriate. I’m all the time going to have a excessive commonplace. And I believe, look, I’ve executed a whole lot of reflecting on the scenario, reflecting on the scenario and communication. I believe there’s issues that I might do higher for positive, and I’ve grown in that manner, and I’ve tried to use the issues that I might 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 a whole lot of nice relationships over my 21-year profession right here within the league. Gamers, coaches, personnel, tools, folks within the kitchen. I imply actually throughout the board, I’ve had a whole lot of nice relationships. I’m going to proceed to try this, however I’m additionally all the time trying to get higher and concerned.”
The Vikings coach then admitted that Tagovailoa calling him a “horrible particular person” impacted him in a manner that was not “constructive.”
“Look, I’m human,” Flores stated in response to that portion of the interview. “In order that hit me in a manner that wasn’t … constructive for me. However on the similar time, I’ve received 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 scenario 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 one of the best for his former quarterback.
“I wish to make that very same form of affect, constructive affect, pour into younger folks,” Flores stated, “serving to them change into as [Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell says] on a regular basis, one of the best variations of themselves. And that’s actually my aim, all the time at teaching. So I want nothing however one of the best to Tua and actually greater than something, I’m simply centered on the 2024 Vikings and the gamers we have now.”
As we argued on Monday, Tagovailoa’s feedback — specifically the portion regarding how his present coach Mike McDaniel makes use of constructive reinforcement — supplied a roadmap for a lot of soccer coaches to comply with when coping with their gamers.
If Flores can evolve in an identical mild, maybe this story has a contented ending.
