Court Unsealed Korn Ferry Memo in Flores Lawsuit
A federal magistrate judge ordered the release of a document evaluating Brian Flores's fitness for NFL coaching roles.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Football
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A previously sealed Korn Ferry memo detailing the professional assessment of Brian Flores has been released to the public. The document includes a breakdown of points both for and against Flores's candidacy for head coaching positions.
Why it matters
Lawyers for Brian Flores intend to use this memo as evidence to support his broader claims of racial discrimination and retaliation within the NFL. The unsealing follows a court rejection of the firm's attempt to maintain the document as privileged work product.
The unsealed memo lists six points in favor of Flores and seven points against him. It also characterizes his background in Brownsville, Brooklyn, while discussing his professional demeanor.
The players
Brian Flores
He is an NFL coach who filed a class-action lawsuit against the league and several teams alleging systemic racial discrimination in hiring.
Korn Ferry
This global organizational consulting firm provides leadership development and executive search services to various corporate and sports clients.
NFL
The National Football League is the premier professional football organization in the United States.
The details
The memo describes Flores as polished, yet characterizes his personality as unpredictable and difficult with ownership. It includes claims that he failed to hire effective coordinators and once threatened violence toward a general manager.
Timeline
February 1, 2022: Brian Flores filed a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL.
October 13, 2026: The court unsealed the Korn Ferry memo.
Season Trajectory
The release of this document shifts the landscape of the ongoing litigation by providing public access to internal evaluations that were previously shielded from the discovery process. It fundamentally impacts the evidentiary phase of the 2022 Brian Flores lawsuit against the NFL.
The unsealing of this document will directly influence the ongoing discovery phase and the potential survival of the case against the six named NFL teams. This procedural development determines whether the claims of discrimination proceed to a full trial.
The takeaway
The unsealed memo provides a rare window into the subjective evaluations often used during high-stakes executive hiring processes in professional sports. Readers should note that legal arguments regarding privilege often delay the transparency of internal personnel assessments in high-profile cases.
What happens next
The court will issue decisions on pending motions to dismiss.
Further reading
For more background on league-wide coaching trends, visit the Football section.
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