In the wake of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s revelations about the tough coaching he endured under former head coach Brian Flores, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel has stepped up to defend Flores, now with the Minnesota Vikings. Van Ginkel, who recently signed with the Vikings as a free agent, credits Flores with shaping him into the player he is today.
During an interview with Jeff Wald from FOX 9 in Minnesota, Van Ginkel articulated his support for Flores, emphasizing the positive impact the coach had on his career. “He’s the reason I’m the player I am today,” Van Ginkel said. “I’m just going to kind of leave Tua’s comments to himself, but for me, I wouldn’t be here without [Flores].”
Earlier this week, Tagovailoa spoke freely with Dan Le Batard about the negative effect Flores’s critical coaching style had on him, stating that it led him to doubt himself until current Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel helped rebuild his confidence. “If you have a terrible person telling you things that you don’t want to hear or probably shouldn’t be hearing, you’re going to start to believe that about yourself,” Tagovailoa explained about his time under Flores.
Van Ginkel, 29, was a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and capped off his Dolphins tenure with 17 sacks. Since joining the Vikings, he has been reunited with Flores, who now serves as the team’s defensive coordinator.
Despite the criticism from Tagovailoa, Van Ginkel remains a staunch supporter of Flores, praising his coaching philosophy and standards. “We’ve got [Flores’s] back and trust what he’s building here with this defense,” he stated.
In response to Tagovailoa’s comments, Flores offered a calm and reflective reply, recognizing his past mistakes and expressing genuine pleasure for the quarterback’s success under McDaniel’s leadership.
The contrasting views presented by both players highlight the varied experiences athletes can have under the same coaching regime, underscoring the complexity of player-coach dynamics in professional sports.