The New Orleans Saints lost a lot this past season, and while they aren’t currently playing any games, they just picked up another loss. New Orleans was competing with the New York Jets for Aaron Glenn, as both franchises wanted to make their former player their new head coach. On Wednesday, the Jets won this battle, with Glenn thanking New Orleans for its interest, while choosing to accept the role in New York.
That leaves the Saints as one of four teams that still have an opening at head coach. The question now is who will New Orleans turn to with its presumed top option off the board? Fortunately, there are still quite a few intriguing candidates available. Among those candidates, Mike McCarthy is believed to be a top candidate for the Saints.
He’s home: The #Jets have a deal for Aaron Glenn to be their new head coach, sources say, as the former NYJ first-rounder lands with his old team.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 22, 2025
A move now celebrated by countless Jets legends, the #Lions DC was the team’s top choice. He’s thanked the #Saints and accepted NYJ. pic.twitter.com/lceOwTlkCP
Saints could turn their attention to Mike McCarthy after missing out on Aaron Glenn
New Orleans planned to start in-person interviews this week, meeting with candidates in person, but the winter storm that hit the Gulf Coast delayed those plans. Still, the Saints are planning second interviews with New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, and McCarthy.
Among those three candidates, McCarthy was the one linked to New Orleans the most. As soon as his contract expired with the Dallas Cowboys, the Saints and Chicago Bears emerged as the two teams with the most interest in him. Chicago, however, has already hired Ben Johnson, so unless one of the other three start to heavily pursue McCarthy, the Saints should have a clear path to hiring him.
Even if that doesn’t happen for some reason, there are still some talented coordinators available like Joe Brady (Buffalo Bills) and Kliff Kingsbury (Washington Commanders). Ultimately, there are still several options on the table for the Saints, but Aaron Glenn isn’t one of them.