Arizona Cardinals' next coach odds: Brian Flores surges in odds to replace Kliff Kingsbury

We've been closely following odds for who will become the Arizona Cardinals' next coach and those odds have taken an interesting turn.

A new name has surged to the top of the latest odds to replace Kliff Kingsbury.

In DraftKings' latest odds to be the Cardinals' next head coach, former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores comes in at +350, tied for first in the odds with former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.

Vance Joseph, Arizona's current defensive coordinator, is third at +450.

The Cardinals requested permission to speak with Flores, also a senior defensive assistant in Pittsburgh, last week.

No. 1 candidate?:DeMeco Ryans Arizona Cardinals coach speculation heats up

Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen is fourth, at +500.

DeMeco Ryans, the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, is fifth in the odds at +750.

The Cardinals have also reportedly received permission to talk with Payton, Joseph and Ryans.

Of Payton's odds, Pete Hernandez writes: "If Arizona envisions having a top-tier offense in the near future then it’s clear why Payton is atop the list of coaching candidates. During his tenure with the Saints, Payton led the franchise to the postseason in 11 of his 15 seasons at the helm, with a Super Bowl win on his resume back in 2009. With Payton as his head coach, Drew Brees led the league in passing in seven of his 15 seasons, while throwing for the most touchdowns in four of their 15 years together."

Of Joseph's odds, he writes: "If Arizona opts to stay in-house with their next coaching hire, then Joseph makes sense as one of the favorites for the job. In addition to having head coaching experience on his resume, he is reportedly well-respected in the organization already, giving him an advantage over external candidates. The Cardinals finished sixth in DVOA back in 2021, and perhaps the team’s third overall pick in this year’s draft, coupled with free agent signings, can help get the unit back on track with Joseph at the helm."

More:Sean Payton Arizona Cardinals speculation, rumors: Los Angeles Chargers threat for coach?

Other top candidates for the job, according to DraftKings' odds, are Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson (+1200), Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen (+1500), Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich (+1700), Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (+1800) and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka (+1800).

Some previous odds for the Arizona Cardinals' head coaching job from OddsChecker put Payton at +250 to become the Cardinals' head coach, with Joseph at +700 and Steichen at +750. Ryans was at +1000.

Flores was not included in the odds.

Flores went 24-25 in three seasons as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019-21.

He was with the New England Patriots from 2004-18, spending time in a variety of roles, including scouting assistant, pro scout, special teams assistant, special teams coach, defensive assistant, safeties coach and linebackers coach.

Worst job in NFL?:Arizona Cardinals' coaching job ranked NFL's best, and worst, current NFL coach opening

Flores is drawing interest with the Cardinals though he has a lawsuit pending against the NFL and six teams − the Dolphins, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans and the Cardinals. It claims discrimination from his firing by the Dolphins and in the interview process with the Giants and Broncos.

The lawsuit in federal court alleges, among other things, that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered Flores money for losing games on purpose so as to improve Miami's draft position. With regard to the Giants, it alleges racism in the interview process in that New York interviewed him for its head coach position (which was offered to Brian Daboll) for no other reason than compliance with the NFL's Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for open positions.

Since the suit was filed, coaches Ray Horton (now retired) and Steve Wilks have joined as plaintiffs, which has led to the addition of the Cardinals as one of the teams being sued. Wilks, who took over as the Carolina Panthers' interim head coach this season and went 6-6 to give them a shot at the NFC South title, was fired after one season in Arizona following the 2018 and replaced by Kliff Kingsbury.

Wilks has sued the Cardinals and is in the running to be named permanent Panthers head coach after his success this season.

Jose M. Romero contributed to this story.

'Created a monster':Arizona Cardinals teammate slams Kyler Murray's contract extension

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals' coach odds: Brian Flores replace Kliff Kingsbury?