This offseason, the New Orleans Saints will have a franchise-defining decision to make when they hire a new coach. The Saints were just in this position when Sean Payton retried after the 2021 season, and they decided to make Dennis Allen the head coach of the team. Obviously, that didn’t work out too well, because New Orleans is right back in the same spot three years later.
It’s fair to say the decision is even bigger this time around. The Saints will be saying goodbye to many key veterans soon, and they’ll likely be handing the keys to a young quarterback as well. New Orleans needs to find the right coach to lead them through this era, or it will be years of misery.
Generally, everyone understands how important coaching is. However, ahead of the big decision for the Saints this offseason, Cam Jordan is making it clear just how beneficial it is to have the right person in charge. That’s been evident through is story arc this season.
The veteran defensive end started the year by being demoted. Dennis Allen, who was the head coach at the time, was very vocal about the plan for Jordan to play limited snaps this year. However, since Darren Rizzi took over, Jordan has returned to being an impact player, racking up snaps and stats.
In nine games under Allen this season, the veteran defensive end played 248 total defensive snaps, recording 10 total tackles, zero for a loss, zero sacks, one quarterback hit, and an interception. In the five games since Rizzi has been interim head coach, Jordan is already at 204 defensive snaps, recording 15 tackles, three for a loss, three sacks, and five QB hits.
Jordan hasn’t been shy about admitting that coaching has made a big difference. Following an eight-sack performance from the defense in Week 15, Jordan credited new defensive line coach Brian Young for getting the group turned around. It was Rizzi’s decision to make Young the coach of the defensive line.
It was also Rizzi’s decision to lean on the team’s veterans like Jordan. It’s not a coincidence that guys like Jordan, Alvin Kamara, and Taysom Hill were featured more once Rizzi became the head coach. He quickly proved that he knows how to get the best out of his players, and how to lead a competitive team.
When New Orleans hires a new coach this offseason, those will be the kind of characteristics to look for. It’s been clear the difference a coach can make on a team, so the Saints absolutely need to get the decision right this offseason.