Mike Pettine’s retirement from the Minnesota Vikings earlier this month raised more than a few eyebrows. After all, we’re talking about a coach with over 20 years of NFL experience, including a head coaching stint in Cleveland and defensive coordinator roles in multiple cities. So when someone with that kind of résumé steps away, people naturally start asking questions.
Now, thanks to some recent comments from Pettine himself, we’re getting a little more insight into what may have prompted his exit - and it has a lot to do with his working relationship, or lack thereof, with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Flores, who recently re-upped with Minnesota (pending the outcome of several open head coaching searches), was a key figure in the Vikings' defensive turnaround. But according to Pettine, the two didn’t exactly see things the same way.
During an appearance on the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show earlier this week, Pettine was asked about the possibility of Flores landing a head coaching job. His response was telling.
"Probably not many that I would prefer to share," Pettine said. "I mean, we didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things, and that's why I spent this past year on offense. I was there in '24 and '25, or '23 and '24 on defense, so I'll take the high road on that one."
That’s about as close to a mic drop as you’ll get from a veteran coach in a public setting.
Let’s unpack that a bit. Pettine had been working on the defensive side in Minnesota during the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
But in 2025, his role shifted - not to a different defense-related position, but to a spot on the offensive side of the ball. Specifically, he was tasked with bringing a defensive lens to the offensive coaching staff, a move that raised some eyebrows when it happened and now takes on new meaning in light of his comments.
The shift came after Thad Bogardus was promoted to outside linebackers coach ahead of the 2025 season. Pettine had held that role in 2023 after Mike Smith took a personal leave, and he continued in that capacity through 2024. With Bogardus stepping in, Pettine was effectively reassigned.
Now, it’s easy to connect the dots and wonder if the move was part of a broader effort to ease tensions between Pettine and Flores. That’s certainly a narrative some around the league are floating.
But officially, Pettine has cited family as a key reason for stepping away - wanting to spend more time with his children and grandchildren. And to be fair, he’s done this before.
After his two-year run as the Browns’ head coach, he took a year off before returning to the league. So this may not be goodbye forever.
“I don't know if I can declare this as being a permanent thing,” Pettine said when asked if he’d consider coaching again. That leaves the door open for a potential return in 2027.
One thing’s for sure: if Pettine does come back, it’s safe to assume it won’t be alongside Brian Flores.