As the NFL playoffs enter the Divisional Round, there are several teams searching for a head coach that can lead them to the playoffs in the future. The New England Patriots already made their decision, hiring Mike Vrabel, but six other openings remain.
One of those openings is the New Orleans Saints. The Saints fired Dennis Allen in the middle of the season, and finished the year 5-12, which put them last in the NFC South. Between New Orleans’ horrendous cap situation and the team’s aging veterans, not many see this opening as one of the most appealing opportunities.
Despite that being the case, experts still think the Saints can land one of the top candidates on the market. ESPN’s senior NFL reporter Dan Graziano recently predicted which candidates will land the current six openings, and for New Orleans, he predicts the team will hire Aaron Glenn.
ESPN predicts the Saints will land Aaron Glenn
Since Dennis Allen was fired, Aaron Glenn has been considered the top candidate for New Orleans. That could’ve changed with Mike McCarthy now in the mix, but Graziano still believes the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator is the candidate that will ultimately end up with the Saints.
"I don't know which job Glenn would pick if it came down to a choice between the Saints and Jets. But based on everything I have heard, I expect the Saints -- whose process seems less expansive so far than the Jets' process -- to make a strong push for Glenn and probably land him."Dan Graziano (ESPN)
Glenn has been commonly connected to New Orleans because he played for the franchise and spent years with the team as the secondary coach. However, he also played for the New York Jets, and is a candidate for their head coach opening.
That’s why Graziano said it could ultimately come down to Glenn deciding between the two franchises. However, New Orleans’ search has been more exclusive and that could mean a stronger pursuit of Glenn, which could be the difference in landing him over the other teams he interviewed with.