Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores, responding to criticism by Tua Tagovailoa on Tuesday, said he wishes his former quarterback well and is happy about his success. But Flores did not directly address Tagovailoa’s assertion that Flores told him “you suck.”

After years of soft-pedaling a description of their relationship during his rookie year of 2020, Tagovailoa was blunt during a discussion on Dan LeBatard’s show, calling Flores “a terrible person.”

Flores now serves as defensive coordinator in Minnesota, where he was asked for a response by Vikings reporters.

"Specific to the comments made by Tua," Flores said, "I just want to say, look. I'm happy, genuinely happy, genuinely happy for the success that Tua's had,” Flores said. “And I really wish him nothing but the best. And I think player relationships are very important to me. That's kind of the foundation of coaching.

“I got into coaching because I was impacted as a young guy by my high school coaches, my college coaches, going all the way to Pop Warner. I got into coaching because I want to make that same kind of impact, a positive impact poured into young people. Help them become, as (Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell) says all the time, the best version of themselves. And that's really my goal always with coaching.”

Flores added he has spent time reflecting on his two seasons coaching Tagovailoa before he was fired by the Dolphins.

“I’m always going to have a high standard,” Flores said. “And, look, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on this situation, reflecting on this situation, communication. I think there’s things I could do better, for sure, and I’ve grown in that way. And I try to apply the things that I could do better and the things that I’ve learned over the last two or three years.

“But I would say over the long haul, I’ve had a lot of great relationships over my 21-year career here in the league: players, coaches, personnel, equipment, you know, people in the kitchen, really across the board. I’m going to continue to do that, but I’m always looking to get better.”

O’Connell stuck up for his coordinator.

"I don't like to comment on comments of other players on other teams, but I can just tell you I know that the players Flo works with, he's got great relationships here," O'Connell said, according to ESPN. "He really has. I know (Minnesota reporters) have heard a lot of them talk about how much they enjoy playing for him, and how much I enjoy working with him every day, and that's all I can really comment on, and I'd just like to leave it at that."

A day earlier, Tagovailoa made news with the release of his interview with LeBatard. Asked to compare the working conditions under current coach Mike McDaniel to Flores, Tagovailoa sounded off.

“If you woke up every morning and I told you you suck at what you did, that you don't belong doing what you do, that you shouldn't be here, that guy should be here, that you haven't earned this right," Tagovailoa said. “And then you have somebody else come in and tell you, dude, you are the best fit for this. You are accurate, you are the best whatever. How would it make you feel listening to one or the other?

“You have a terrible person telling you things you don't want to hear, or that you probably shouldn't be hearing, you're going to start to believe that about yourself. That's sort of like what ended up happening. It's been two years of training that out of not just me but a couple of the guys as well that have been here since my rookie year."

Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal.

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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Brian Flores on Tua Tagovailoa: There's things I could do better