The Baltimore Ravens parted ways with long-time head coach John Harbaugh on January 6, 2026. The franchise is now sending invites to potential replacements for the Super Bowl XLVII winner. One of those invites has gone to Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Flores has excelled as the defensive coordinator of the Vikings. However, Emmanuel Acho doesn’t see him as an ideal fit for the vacant Ravens job.

“I love Brian Flores. I hate him for the Ravens. Let’s talk about it. Anybody who’s played for Brian Flores will tell you though he is a brilliant coach. He is much of a dictator type of coach. It is very much so his way or the highway that works with young, egoless, non-proven players.

“You can’t come in as a dictator and try to control veterans. Chip Kelly came into Philadelphia and tried to control Jason Peters, LaShawn McCoy, and DeShaun Jackson, which went left real quick. You can come in as a dictator and control the ego list, unaccomplished players. That’s what Brian Flores has done with the Minnesota Vikings. Egoless, unaccomplished. That’s why they’re top-flight. ” Acho said.

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Brian Flores started his coaching career as a special teams assistant with the New England Patriots. He rose the ranks, eventually becoming the linebackers coach on Bill Belichick’s staff.

The Miami Dolphins hired Flores as their head coach on February 4, 2019. He recorded two winning seasons in his time in Miami before he was let go after the 2021 season.

Flores has since rebuilt his reputation with a short stint as linebackers coach in Pittsburgh and stellar tenure as defensive coordinator in Minnesota. He is viewed as a high-level candidate in the 2026 coaching cycle.

John Harbaugh is linked to multiple teams

Former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is the hottest name in the coaching market. The one-time Super Bowl champion has been linked to the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, and Miami Dolphins jobs.

Harbaugh spent 18 seasons with the Ravens, and the team was a perennial Super Bowl contender in his tenure. He missed out on the playoffs by the closest of margins in 2025, and the Ravens decided to go in a different direction.

However, according to Yahoo Sports, John Harbaugh will not interview for head coaching jobs until next week. John Harbaugh’s brother, Jim Harbaugh, believes that the former Ravens HC won’t be unemployed for long.

“He’ll be a head coach next year. I just hope it’s in the NFC,” the Los Angeles Chargers head coach said.

The Ravens are looking for his replacement while he’s considering the suitors for only the second HC job of his Hall of Fame career.