The New Orleans Saints entered their Week 16 Monday Night Football matchup against the Green Bay Packers at 5-9 and eliminated from playoff contention. With a ton of key players sidelined, fans have already turned their attention to the offseason, asking questions like who will the Saints draft, who’ll be the quarterback, and who will the team hire as the next head coach.
On Monday, NFL insider Adam Schefter shared some insight on what the franchise is thinking for the final question. During a segment on Monday Night Countdown, Schefter reported that Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is square on the Saints’ radar. In addition to Glenn, Mike Vrabel is also a candidate that New Orleans has interest in.
"One of the candidates expected to be square on their radar will be [Lions DC] Aaron Glenn... I also would expect the organization would have some level of interest in [former Titans HC] Mike Vrabel." - Adam Schefter with the latest on the Saints' HC search and QB situation #NFL pic.twitter.com/AHmwShfLw3
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 24, 2024
Saints reportedly have interest in Aaron Glenn and Mike Vrabel
The second New Orleans fired Dennis Allen, everyone circled Aaron Glenn as a person that could be the franchise’s next head coach. The reason he’s an obvious candidate is that he ended his playing career with the Saints in 2008, and also spent time as a defensive backs coach in New Orleans from 2016 to 2020.
When he left the Saints in 2021, he joined the Lions as a defensive coordinator, and has served in that role since. Glenn has been an integral of Detroit turning things around and becoming one of the best teams in the league. With his history with the franchise, plus his recent success as a coordinator, it’s no suprise he’s atop the Saints list.
The same goes for Mike Vrabel, who led the Tennessee Titans to a lot of success during his stint as head coach from 2018 to 2023. Both Vrabel and Glenn will likely be top candidates for every team with an opening. That means the hiring cycle will be just as much as an interview process for the Saints organization as it will be for the candidates.