Would love to see Rizzi get more wins, but we need highest slot in the draft we can get.
If Rizzi managed to win the next 3 would you reconsider?
I'm with you EJW. I also like what I see from Rizzi and I really want to see him EARN the HC position. I defined "earning it" as going 6-2; or going 5-3 but stealing a win from the Rams, Commanders, or Packers. He has failed (by the skin of his teeth) on 2 out of the 3, but still has a shot at the Packers, so the short answer to your question is "yes"...he'll have met my criteria!
He sure isn't making this an easy decision, for or against his hiring. I see improvement in the team, despite the injured roster, and extrapolating a 5-3 finish by Rizzi over the entire season probably puts the Saints in the playoffs, if not NFCS Champs. That's the good news. The bad news is that we're beating the teams worse than us, and losing to teams better than us....and that sounds very much like DA. But the team does look more competitive, determined, and isn't snatching defeat from the jaws of victory any more.
So I think Rizzi is definitely worthy of consideration, but he hasn't earned it (yet), IMO. And I temper his performance with the knowledge that he's accomplishing this with DA's staff....he didn't fire coordinators or position coaches mid-season, creating more turmoil to resolve; he took the hand he was dealt and is making the best of that. I wonder what he could do with HIS choices....who would he let go? and who would he replace them with? what IS Rizzi's vision for the path forward, and the future of the team? I don't know we'll get to learn his thoughts, but I'd want to know before giving him the job.
OTOH, if he wins the next 3, he's probably going 6-2 in his tenure; or 5-3 with a "stolen" victory over the Packers, and that would make the decision EASY for me. But if that doesn't happen, I hope the Saints will identify and interview ALL viable candidates....INCLUDING RIZZI! I can see the potential appeal of candidates like Brady, Coen, Johnson, Glenn, Kingsbury, and a few others; but they ALL have giant question marks about their ability to become a successful HC. Rizzi has that question mark also, but we have an 8-game body of work, IN HOUSE, to reference. In my mind, he sets the bar to be cleared. Honestly, I think Rizzi is our default "fallback" candidate. He may or may not be our best option, but it's just as likely that our "preferred" option doesn't have mutual interest, for the reasons discussed ad nauseum on this forum. Let's not forget that CSP may have been the Saints top choice, but CSP's preference was Green Bay; and we only got CSP when Green Bay announced Mike McCarthy had been hired. Turns out we were CSP's "consolation prize", so that scenario isn't necessarily a bad thing. Based on what I've seen from this sheet-show of a 2024 season, I can live with Rizzi if that is our best option available this offseason.
What I REALLY want is a new GM, and a new GM will likely pick a HC who isn't already in the building. But if we're stuck with Loomis, I think Rizzi is a front-runner because Loomis likes familiarity. And if Rizzi is the guy, he'll either be great and Loomis will be safe again; or Rizzi will fail, and that will be 2 consecutive failed HC hires, which is usually enough to get a new GM. I'm good with either outcome. JMO...