Brian Flores can bring his championship rings with him, but they won't help him succeed in his next job, turning around the Miami Dolphins.

A lingering question will follow Flores for the first part of his tenure as the Dolphins' head coach: What will he do to be different? It's a two-fold question.

No full-time Dolphins coach has finished his tenure with a winning record since 2004, the same year Flores began his coaching career. That's one area where Flores hopes to be different as he springs into the Dolphins rebuild off his Super Bowl LIII triumph as the defensive playcaller for the New England Patriots. The second area is in the pitfalls of trying to emulate the NFL's most successful coach.

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Bill Belichick has won more Super Bowls than any coach in NFL history, but the members of his coaching tree have not had a similar degree of success. The biggest mistake many former Patriots assistants make once they are in the big chair is trying to duplicate the Patriot Way and Belichick. But none of them is Belichick, and the Patriots have built a system that simply won't work in most places. Flores is confident that is another area where he can be different and learn from his predecessors.

"I'm my own man. I'm Brian Flores. I learned a lot from Bill, but I'll also be different than Bill," said Flores, who turns 38 later this month. "I'll put my own style on how we do things here."

One of Belichick's biggest strengths is preparing his players so well that he gets more out of less talented players. He finds the players who are a fit for his system -- men who are properly motivated and often without ego. The Patriot Way is rigid and values winning over everything else. But for those new head coaches creating their own culture, it's difficult to get players to buy in without the Belichick results or a Tom Brady to fall back on. They are often left with a talent dearth and unhappy players.

There's optimism that Flores will have success in Miami. He's different from many of the Patriots coaches who came before him. His background makes him relatable, and he has a balanced, even-keeled personality. He also draws from some of Belichick's best qualities.

"The core values, the core beliefs, the principles -- there will be some similarities, for sure. But I have my own unique coaching style," Flores said. "Just like some players need a pat on the back, some players need to get yelled at. Every team is a little bit different every year. We've got to be versatile as a staff. We've got to be versatile as a team. And if we can do that, I'll think we'll have success."

Three NFL scouts who know Flores are confident that he won't try to imitate Belichick. They cited his personal relationships with players and his authentic leadership. One scout said, "He damn sure won't make the mistakes that Matt Patricia did in Detroit." Patricia drew criticism in 2018 for scolding a reporter over his posture during a news conference, making his team practice in snow despite having four consecutive indoor games on the schedule and reportedly being late to meetings.

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said in February 2016 that he was looking for someone to be the next Bill Belichick when he hired Adam Gase, per the Palm Beach Post. Now, three years later, he should hope that the new head coach he hired, Flores, is not trying to be the next Bill Belichick.

Mixed Results At Best The eight coaches before the Dolphins' Brian Flores who became NFL head coaches for the first time after working under Bill Belichick: Coach First Belichick connection NFL head coach record Matt Patricia Patriots offensive assistant, 2004 6-10 Bill O'Brien Patriots offensive assistant, 2007 42-38 Josh McDaniels Patriots personnel assistant, 2001 11-17 Jim Schwartz Browns personnel scout, 1993-95 29-51 Eric Mangini Browns offensive assistant, 1995 | 33-47 Romeo Crennel Giants special teams coach, 1981 28-55 Al Groh Giants linebackers coach, 1989 9-7 Nick Saban Browns defensive coordinator, 1991-94 15-17 ESPN

Only two of those eight coaches linked to Belichick -- Bill O'Brien and Eric Mangini -- made the playoffs as an NFL coach. Only O'Brien has won a playoff game, and it is his lone postseason victory in four attempts.

The truth is many of those coaches came into their opportunities with a similar perspective as Flores, trying not to be Belichick. Patricia spoke about it at length last summer. Some failed in doing it their way, and others failed for different reasons.

Flores promises to be demanding and hold players to a selfless, team-first culture. Those are also pillars of the Patriot Way. Flores also hired five former Patriots assistants, including offensive coordinator Chad O'Shea and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Three of those five were on the staff in New England in 2018: O'Shea, Josh Boyer and Jerry Schuplinski.

There certainly is a fine line between sticking to the core beliefs he learned from his Patriots tenure and trying to duplicate Belichick. Flores' success in Miami will be dependent on finding that sweet spot.

"There will be some pain. We know that. But there’s pain for every team," Flores said. "We had some this year in New England. We overcame them, and I think that’s the kind of attitude and resolve I want to see from a team that I’m coaching.”