After firing Dennis Allen, the New Orleans Saints could look to a familiar face for their next head coach. The team has struggled to find its successor to Sean Payton, as Dennis Allen didn’t work out and the team narrowly missed the opportunity to hire former assistant head coach and current Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell for the full-time job. Campell isn’t going anywhere, but Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes the Saints could land the next best thing.
In a recent article, Knox listed the ideal head coach hires for all teams likely to be in the market at the end of the season. While the Saints, Jets, and Bears are the only teams who have already fired their head coaches, more openings will emerge following Week 18’s slate of games. Bleacher Report believes the Saints should hire Aaron Glenn as their next coach, as the current Detroit Lions defensive coordinator has done well with the NFC favorites and has a long history in New Orleans.
New Orleans needs a coach willing to work with ownership and general manager Mickey Loomis to navigate the tearing-down portion of a rebuild while getting the most out of a patchwork roster. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is the perfect candidate. His work with Detroit’s injury-depleted defense this season has been impressive. Although the team has lost multiple starters, he keeps rolling out a squad capable of winning games.
Bleacher Report: Saints Could Hire Aaron Glenn As Next Head Coach
Following a 14-year career as a player, Aaron Glenn joined the coaching world in 2014 but joined the New Orleans Saints in 2016. Brought on to be the defensive backs coach, Glenn thrived in the role before earning a promotion with the Detroit Lions and good pal Dan Campbell. Serving as the Lions defensive coordinator for the past three seasons, Glenn inherited one of the least talented rosters in football and helped turn the organization into one of the league’s elite teams.
As of this posting, the Lions defense ranks fifth in EPA/play allowed despite losing several key starters, including superstar pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. The ability to keep this unit competitive is a testament to his ability as a defensive mind, and his connections with New Orleans means General Manager Mickey Loomis should know what he brings to the table. Glenn is certainly qualified, but is he the best fit for the job?
Is This The Right Move?
In a perfect world, the Saints would hire a different Lions coordinator to be their next head coach. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is one of the league’s brightest young minds, as the 38-year-old is one of the biggest reasons for revitalizing Jared Goff’s career and making the team such an unstoppable force. Every team wants to hire the next great offensive mind, and Johnson has the potential to be the league’s next Andy Reid or Kyle Shanahan.
Unfortunately, he probably won’t sign with the Saints. The past few offseasons showed that Johnson will not accept the first offer that comes his way, and he wants to land in a near-perfect environment. The Saints do not provide that opportunity, as the team is drowning in salary cap debt and has no long-term answer at the quarterback position. Ben Johnson will probably land with the Chicago Bears, which means Glenn could be a solid choice.
The only other big-name defensive-minded coach on the market is Mike Vrabel. While Vrabel has a proven track record, he never coached in New Orleans, so Glenn might be the safer pick. Considering the Saints are not an attractive coaching destination, the team should be happy if they could land a qualified leader like Aaron Glenn.
Main Photo: Chuck Cook – USA Today Sports
