Report: Brian Flores' ouster 'entirely independent' of Jim Harbaugh potential

In what was a surprising move on Monday morning, the Miami Dolphins have decided to fire head coach Brian Flores after three seasons. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news. The ousting brings speculation surrounding Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and his potential interest in Miami.

However, according to ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington, the Dolphins’ decision to move on from Brian Flores is “entirely independent” of anything to do with Jim Harbaugh.

“While I realize many are assuming Flores’ departure is tied to Harbaugh’s potential availability, I can assure you that is not the case,” Darlington tweeted. “The Dolphins are not targeting Jim Harbaugh, per sources. The decision to fire Flores is entirely independent.

“The decision to fire Flores can be summed up with one word: Relationships,” Darlington added. “His relationship with Grier and Tua had deteriorated to a pretty bad place. Along with constant staff changes, owner Steve Ross no longer saw Flores as a healthy fit in Miami.

The two jobs that speculators have most connected to Harbaugh and a potential move the NFL are in Chicago and Las Vegas.

Jay Glazer shares key tidbit on Harbaugh

Fox Sports analyst Jay Glazer dropped a little scoop on Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh ahead of Week 18 NFL action.

“Jim Harbaugh, I can tell you this, has been calling around, asking for people, in case he gets an NFL job, if they would join his staff,” Glazer shared. “So, he is interested in possibly returning to the NFL.”

Things appear to be getting more and more serious as NFL teams begin looking beyond the 2021-22 season.

Harbaugh has previous NFL coaching experience. He was with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14. In those four years, he had a 44-19-1 record and led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012.

The rumors ramped up about Harbaugh earlier this week when Feldman reported Harbaugh could entertain NFL interest. The Raiders and Chicago Bears have both come up as the week went on.

Dolphins part ways with Flores

The Dolphins hired Brian Flores ahead of the 2019 season. In his first year, he led Miami to a 5-11 record and a last-place finish in the AFC East. Last year, the Dolphins finished 10-6 but finished just outside of the playoff picture. This year, Miami went 9-8, again missing the playoffs.

This season was a season of streaks for Flores and the Dolphins. After opening the year with a win over the New England Patriots, the Dolphins went on a seven-game losing streak, falling to 1-7. Miami followed that up with a seven-game winning streak, improving to 8-7. The Dolphins then split the final two games of the year, including another win over New England in Sunday’s regular-season finale.

Schefter reported that Flores will get serious consideration from other NFL teams as a possible head coaching candidate. Dolphins general manager Chris Grier is also not in danger of losing his job, according to Schefter.

On3’s Jonathan Wagner contributed to this report.