Miami Dolphins

Dolphins meet again with Patriots assistant Brian Flores

Published Jan. 23, 2019 6:08 p.m. ET

MIAMI (AP) —New England Patriots defensive play-caller Brian Flores is taking a break from his Super Bowl preparations to meet with the Miami Dolphins, who are expected to hire him as head coach after the title game.

The meeting Wednesday was Flores' second with the Dolphins. He was the first candidate interviewed for the job by owner Stephen Ross and general manager Chris Grier on Jan. 4, and they targeted him a week later as their choice to succeed Adam Gase.

No agreement can become final until after the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, when Flores' defense will be tested by the NFC's highest-scoring team, the Los Angeles Rams.

Flores has begun work to assemble a staff, and front-runners include former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell as assistant head coach and Packers assistant Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator. Some Dolphins assistants are expected to be retained.

Gase was fired after going 7-9 in his third season with Miami and then hired as coach of the New York Jets.

Flores has spent his entire 11-year coaching career with New England and is now their linebackers coach. He took over defensive play-calling in 2018 after the departure of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who became coach of the Detroit Lions.