Brian Flores clarifies stance on Bill Belichick in new interview

After suing the NFL for alleged racial discrimination, marked by smoking-gun text messages from Bill Belichick, Brian Flores seemed to burn the bridge between himself and not just the Patriots head coach but the entire league.

The litigation will continue, but it will happen as Flores regained employment in the NFL as a senior defensive assistant/linebackers coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers. And Flores isn't souring on Belichick, either, despite his role in the lawsuit.

Speaking on "I Am Athlete," hosted by Omar Kelly, Brandon Marshall, and Chad Ochocinco, Flores clarified that he's not harboring resentment toward Belichick over his role in the case.

"I’m not mad," Flores said. "I mean, Bill did what a lot of us [do]. He sent a text message to the wrong person. I’m certainly guilty of that before. To me, I thought it was specific to the lawsuit in that it confirmed a lot of things that I thought were going on, that I think a lot of black, minority coaches think are going on, where it kind of confirmed it to me as far as having a fair, equal opportunity to go interview and show your acumen, show your intelligence, show your ability to lead, show your willingness and your leadership, and oftentimes it’s not a fair and equal playing field."

Belichick inadvertently helped spur the legal action when he mistakenly sent congratulatory texts to Flores on getting the New York Giants' head coaching job, which actually went to Brian Daboll. The texts came before Flores met with the Giants, which indicated to him that the team was conducting what the lawsuit termed a "sham" interview just to satisfy the NFL's Rooney Rule. The Giants have since denied that they officially decided on hiring Daboll before interviewing Flores.

In a previous interview with NPR's Jay Williams, Flores said that Belichick was a "clear example" of someone involved in "back-channel conversations and back-channel meetings that are had that oftentimes influence [hiring] decisions," and that Belichick's role in the Giants' decision is "part of the problem" with the way teams flout the Rooney Rule and facilitate an unfair process for minority coaching candidates.

But his comments on "I Am Athlete" indicate that it's nothing personal between him and the Patriots head coach, whom he agreed was "certainly" the greatest coach of all time. He also shared a perspective on Belichick's coaching style that may surprise those who believe he runs a totalitarian regime in New England.

"I think the one thing people don’t know about Bill is, he listens," Flores said. "You’ve got to earn the right for him to listen. But if you have an idea, if you have a thought ... if there’s a matchup that we can win, he will listen."

Flores also recently interviewed with Bryant Gumbel for his "Real Sports" show on HBO, which airs Tuesday night. Via NESN's Zack Cox, Flores said he hasn't spoken with Belichick since he filed the lawsuit and never discussed a return to New England. So while it seems that Flores isn't holding onto any hard feelings, it's unclear how Belichick feels at this point.

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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.