Saints hire defensive backs guru Peter Giunta as senior defensive assistant
Peter Giunta, a long-time defensive backs guru, has been hired by the New Orleans Saints as a senior defensive assistant.
According to reports later confirmed by The Advocate, the New Orleans Saints hired Peter Giunta on Thursday to be the team’s senior defensive assistant, a job held by Dennis Allen in 2015 along with helping the secondary before he was promoted to defensive coordinator in November following Rob Ryan’s departure.
Confirmed that the Saints have hired Peter Giunta, according to a league source
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) January 22, 2016
With an extensive amount of coaching experience, particularly with defensive backs, Peter Giunta could have an incredible impact on the Saints’ secondary in a defense that has struggled tremendously in back-to-back seasons.
Giunta started coaching defensive backs with the Philadelphia Eagles (1991-94). Since his tenure in Philly, he has coached defensive backs with the St. Louis Rams (1997), the Kansas City Chiefs (2001-05), and most recently with the New York Giants (2006-14), where he won two Super Bowls. He was also the Rams’ co-defensive coordinator (1998-99) for their championship team and their defensive coordinator in 2000.
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With Dennis Allen most likely taking over full-time defensive coordinator duties in New Orleans and secondary coach Wesley McGriff leaving for Auburn, it will be up to new secondary coach Aaron Glenn, a former All-Pro player, and senior defensive assistant Peter Giunta, a three-time Super Bowl-winning coach, to help get that struggling department back on track in 2016.
The Saints are desperate, and so far, they’re making some big moves in an effort to improve. The NFL offseason hasn’t even officially started, but New Orleans remains active and will likely continue retooling the coaching staff in the following weeks.