3 potential Bill Belichick replacements who understand the Patriot Way

2. Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator

Of the three names on our list, the man with the lengthiest connection to the "Patriot Way" is Brian Flores, who was just 23 when Bill Belichick hired him as a scouting assistant in 2004.

Four years later, Flores was promoted to Belichick's coaching staff and held various roles over the next decade before finally getting his shot as a head coach with the Miami Dolphins in 2019.

Strictly looking at the 24-25 record he accumulated in three seasons in South Beach, it's easy to say that his tenure was a failure. But what one has to remember is that he didn't have all the talent Mike McDaniel does now. And he did improve the franchise overall.

After going 5-11 in his first year, Flores went 19-14 the next two seasons, although neither of the winning campaigns resulted in a playoff berth.

Following his controversial firing, he spent the 2022 season as an assistant to Mike Tomlin with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is currently the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.

One would expect Flores to receive several interview requests this offseason, and given his familiarity with New England and 15 years of experience with the "Patriot Way," don't be surprised if one of those comes from Robert Kraft.