Underhill: Saints are interviewing probably 12 coaches [Tracker: 8 confirmed interviews] (87 Viewers)

[Saintslfc13]

I was in the Joe Brady/Ben Johnson camp for a bit until last week when driving during the holidays. Listening to Press Coverage on NFL Radio, they were discussing how to fix the Jets as it's the worst job out there. They said it would take someone like Vrabel, an Alpha Dog HC who can build a team/culture. It's not going to be ine of these younger OC guys who have their heads buried in a play sheet.

That conversation carried over to how Pete Carroll might come back for the Chicago job, another Alpha Dog HC who can build a team/culture.

Then it went to how this season we'll see the guys like Carroll, Vrabel and Gruden get jobs b/c they owners/GMs are kinda tired of missing on these supposed up and comer coordinator gurus as they aren't team/culture building Alpha Dog HCs.

It makes a ton of sense and we need that, so I've switched from looking at Brady/Johnson or any hot shot OC to an actual team/culture building HC like Vrabel. Vrabel would be my first choice due to the team I know he could build. Gruden would be my second choice. He's going to get back into the league and those who think the league passed him by will be wrong as he's stayed close to the game with time to see it from the outside to evolve as a HC/OC play caller.

Those same people who are saying the game passed him by were the ones saying SP's offense was old and the league had caught up to it. SP is doing just fine in Denver.

I would be curious what Gruden thinks about QBs like JJ McCarthy, Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson and others who could be available or are reclamation projects. We know he'd roll with Carr to start and he does have a history with Haener, but I see Haener as a career backup, not a QB1. I'd be curious what his assessment is of Rattler as well.

The only issue I have with the take the Radio personalities had on things is that these people don’t really know how the young OCs that haven’t run a team would run a team because they’ve never done it. Was Sean Payton considered an Alpha Dog HC before he got here? I was admittedly only 17 when we hired him so I wasn’t exactly reading every tidbit of news about prospective coaches. I know he was mentored by Parcells so that’s a factor these other guys don’t have but I really just remember him being seen a younger (for coaches) offensive mind that Parcells loved but thought was overly reliant on the pass.

My overall point is that anyone is capable of changing a teams culture until proven otherwise and of course that’s a big part of what the interview process is there to determine, depending on what the GM wants of course.

 

[Saint Greg]

Do we have 12 people that want this job besides people like Nagy, Glenn?

There will be plenty.

 

[Saintslfc13]

I expect to hear us have interest in Brian Flores. They seemed to like him in the last round even with all the trouble with the league he had going on at that time. No denying the work he has done with the Vikings defense.

Still, I don't want a HC who has had a pretty big failure their last time as a HC. That's just pressing redo on another Dennis Allen.

Flores was a mixed bag in Miami for sure but I think the main issue was him being forced to draft Tua when he didn’t want him. I don’t see him going anywhere that doesn’t support his vision as a coach.

 

[VPCajun]

Do you think Dennis Allen will apply for the job?

"Behind the scenes", ML is begging Ms Gayle to PLEAZE let him bring back his buddy!

 

[Analyze This]

I have no faith in the process as long as Mr. Status Quo, AKA Mick, is guiding it.

+1…we will interview 12 people and hire Glenn because he is willing to keep the existing staff. I hope Aaron has other options. He should not have to settle for what Loomis is selling.

 

[MikeyF]

Plot twist: all 12 candidates are currently on the Saints coaching staff.

I can't decide whether to do the LOL emoji or the crying emoji because it might be true..

 

[Gkinler65]

The Saints and Pelicans are a ship without a rudder! Does it really matter as long as Loomis is calling the shots and Gayle Benson is the owner. We have a finance guy who thinks he is a football guru. Remember the Dennis Allen is in the same class as Bill Belichick and Vince Lombardi!! LOL. We have no pro-bowlers and we have supplied other teams with pro-bowl players because of Loomis expertise, i.e. knowing good players from bad players. Look at how horrible our draft picks have been! Set us back years, along with poor free agent signings. We don’t draft BPA we reach and draft for need. Give up extensive draft capital and good players for pennies! Can one of the kool-aid drinkers please tell me why I should feel good about our future moving forward? We have become a clown show run by clowns.

 

[NEBaghead]

Do we have 12 people that want this job besides people like Nagy, Glenn?

It is an NFL head coach vacancy, only 32 exist. People will interview and short of having other offers one of them will take it happily. This isn’t like the raiders with a terrible reputation 3 decades.

 

[Witness]

Really unfortunate then Loomis will be the one interviewing and making the decision

 

[Infoman]

I know it’s gonna be somewhat unpopular…. But with Vrabel likely going to NE…. We need to push hard for Johnson or Brady early… And if we get neither we have to bring in Chucky. I don’t see any other options for 2 year turnaround.

 

[DSnfla]

Compared to guys like Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Ben Johnson (etc.), both Payton’s and Gruden’s offensive scheme is basic, and yes, a bit outdated (Gruden’s moreso).

What made Payton’s offense flourish in NOLA wasn’t so much the scheme, per se, but it was having a human computer like Brees at the line of scrimmage who could figure out what the defense was running (pre-snap) and get the offense in the right play. It was like Payton & Brees shared a brain.

That’s what Payton did not have in Russell Wilson. And it’s what he’s hoping to build in Bo Nix (and so far it looks promising).

So much rides on the QB. And Gruden is notoriously harsh on his QBs. Unless there’s another 2006 Brees out there waiting to be signed, I’m pessimistic about Gruden’s ability to develop a young QB (something he’s never done).

Reid was treading water before Mahomes got there, it's Mahomes improv that has won the SBs not his head and shoulders above everyone else's system.

There's no scheme that makes bad to mediocre players great. Coaches adapt, Gruden has been out of football for a couple yrs not my guess is he has not stood still and has adapted much like Payton has

 

[Nolan]

Reid was treading water before Mahomes got there, it's Mahomes improv that has won the SBs not his head and shoulders above everyone else's system.

There's no scheme that makes bad to mediocre players great. Coaches adapt, Gruden has been out of football for a couple yrs not my guess is he has not stood still and has adapted much like Payton has

Treading water doesn't seem accurate. 5 straight winning seasons and 4 playoff appearances with Alex Smith as his quarterback before Mahomes took over.

Of course when he lands a generational quarterback he starts winning championships, but let's not act like he wasn't doing excellent work with a mid-tier quarterback prior to that.

 

[DSnfla]

Only a fool doesn't take history into account. While history doesn't repeat it often rhymes. Prior to interviewing anyone for head coach after Payton left rumors broke that Loomis was going to hire Dennis Allen. Loomis then interviewed many candidates, then hired Dennis Allen as head coach. I think the better question is how do you not see a similar pattern merging? It's literally slapping you across the face at this point.

LOL because DA was Payton's recommendation so of course he was the front runner. There is NO pattern here because there is no glaring recommendation from the guy that led the franchise for 16 yrs . In ANY HC search there are favorites BEFORE the search starts just like there will be now. Do you not think there are favorites for EVERY HC job out there now??

 

[Rexman100]

It is an NFL head coach vacancy, only 32 exist. People will interview and short of having other offers one of them will take it happily. This isn’t like the raiders with a terrible reputation 3 decades.

Don’t forget that the job pays well. So an OC is likely to get his salary 4x. So to think it’s a terrible job, coaching a weakened NFL team, isn’t accurate.

 

[DSnfla]

Treading water doesn't seem accurate. 5 straight winning seasons and 4 playoff appearances with Alex Smith as his quarterback before Mahomes took over.

Of course when he lands a generational quarterback he starts winning championships, but let's not act like he wasn't doing excellent work with a mid-tier quarterback prior to that.

I'm not saying Reid is a bad HC but he was not close to the SB until Mahomes got there. And Smith was not a bad QB