NEW YORK — The Giants denied the allegations in ex-Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores’ racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL in a statement released Thursday evening.
Flores claimed he had several “sham” interviews for head coach jobs, including with the Giants, after he was fired from the Dolphins in January. He claims he was only interviewed for those jobs so the teams could fulfill Rooney Rule requirements that minority candidates be interviewed and was never seriously considered for those open positions.
“Brian Flores has raised serious issues in the filing of his complaint. The specific claims against the Giants and Mr. Flores’ allegations about the legitimacy of his candidacy for our head coach position are disturbing and simply false,” the team said.
The team claims it conducted its interviews for head coach appropriately and only decided on former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll on Jan. 28, more than a day after Flores’ second interview with the team.
“The allegation that the Giants’ decision had been made prior to Friday evening, January 28, is false. And to base that allegation on a text exchange with Bill Belichick in which he ultimately states that he “thinks” Brian Daboll would get the job is irresponsible. The text exchange occurred the day before Coach Daboll’s in-person interview even took place. Giants’ ownership would never hire a head coach based only on a 20-minute zoom interview, which is all that Mr. Daboll had at that point.”
“In addition, Mr. Belichick does not speak for and has no affiliation with the Giants. Mr. Belichick’s text exchange provides no insight into what actually transpired during our head coaching search.”
According to Flores’ suit, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick accidentally texted him a congratulatory note intended for Daboll on Jan. 24, three days before Flores’ second interview with the Giants.
“Sorry—I f----- this up,” Belichick texted to Flores, according to screenshots. “I double checked and misread the text. I think they are naming Brian Daboll. I’m sorry about that.”
The Giants said they had not made up their mind at that junction and pointed to a timeline that included co-owner John Mara reaching out to Flores to let him know he was a serious candidate for the job as well as a dinner with newly hired GM Joe Schoen on Jan. 26, the night before Flores’ second interview.
“Our hiring process and, most certainly, our consideration of Mr. Flores was serious and genuine,” the team said. “We are disappointed to learn that Mr. Flores was under the mistaken impression the job had already been awarded.”
The Giants’ statement came hours after the Broncos similarly denied giving Flores the runaround during a previous coaching search.
Broncos president of football operations John Elway said he interviewed Flores “in good faith” in 2019 and was “prepared, ready and fully engaged during the entire” process.
Flores claims Elway and other Broncos executives were hungover after “drinking heavily the night before” and arrived at the interview an hour late looking “completely disheveled.”
Elway said he and others may have appeared tired because of a late flight to the interview and only a few hours of sleep beforehand.
The Broncos eventually hired Vic Fangio who was fired in January after three seasons.
“I deal in truth, that’s my reaction. I deal in truth. Honesty, integrity is important to me, and hopefully, there’s a day we find out the truth on that one,” Flores told ESPN on Wednesday.
