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Lawyers for former NFL head coach Brian Flores had a few things to say after the Houston Texans announced the hiring of Lovie Smith to fill their vacant head coach position on Monday.
Flores is currently suing the NFL (and three specific teams) for racially discriminatory hiring practices. The lawsuit was filed less than a week after Flores was subjected to an alleged "sham" interview with the New York Giants, and less than a month after the Miami Dolphins shockingly fired Flores after a 9-8 season that ended with eight wins in their final nine games.
Flores recently interviewed with the Texans for their head coach job, but they opted to hire Smith, who (like Flores) is Black. Flores' lawyers Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis released a statement crediting the Texans for hiring a Black candidate, but also accused the team of not hiring Flores due to his discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.
"Mr. Flores was one of three finalists for the Texans' head coach position and, after a great interview and mutual interest, it is obvious that the only reason Mr. Flores was not selected was his decision to stand up against racial inequality across the NFL," the statement read.
In the days after the lawsuit went public, Flores acknowledged that his decision to take the NFL and three other teams to court could mean he'd never coach in the league again. He wants another opportunity to be a head coach, but believes it's worth risking his career to bring racism to light and improve the future for other Black and minority candidates in the NFL.
"I absolutely want to coach in this league," Flores said on "CBS Mornings" the day after he filed his class-action lawsuit. "But I also know that I'm not the only story here. I'm not the only one with a story. ... This is bigger than football, bigger than coaching."
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