Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores alleged that then-Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway and other top team brass showed up ‘completely disheveled’ to his coaching interview, according to a racial discrimination lawsuit filed Tuesday.
In the lawsuit, Flores alleges he was interviewed to be the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2019 just to fulfill the “Rooney Rule” — which requires teams to interview diverse candidates for open positions.
“The Broncos’ then-General Manager, John Elway, President, and Chief Executive Officer Joe Ellis and others, showed up an hour late to the interview,” the lawsuit alleges. “They looked completely disheveled, and it was obvious that they had [been] drinking heavily the night before.”
Flores said that it was “clear from the substance of the interview” that the Broncos “never had any intention to consider him as a legitimate candidate for the job,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit notes that Vic Fangio, who is white, was later hired to be the Broncos’ head coach.
A representative for the Broncos could not be immediately reached for comment.
The class-action lawsuit filed by Flores, who was fired at the end of the 2021-22 regular season by the Dolphins, alleges the NFL is still “rife with racism” in its hiring practices.
Flores also acknowledges that the lawsuit may cost him his career as an NFL head coach, but is willing to take that chance in hopes of improving the situation for future coaches.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.
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