Opinion Worst Saints Coordinator (offense OR defense) of all time (4 Viewers)

[J.T.]

Carl Smith, it's not even close. I remember going to games and "guessing" the next play with about 80% accuracy for the entire game. He was terrible. It wasn't the players, although have a receiver who could run a 4.5 forty and catch would have been nice, it was the coach.

 

[SaintKenKen]

One day I'm going to actually get it through all of yalls thick skulls that Carl Smith is not to blame for Jim Mora's ultra conservative coaching style.

Literally every game we were winning we went into prevent defense and started running 22 DIVE over and over again. His name is Jim Mora.

I was just learning the game but I *definitely* remember being able to predict Carl Smith running a draw play in 3rd and long. Every. single. time.

Not gonna defend Mora though

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

maybe this one? (Pete)

 

[LA_Steve]

Danny Abramowitz

 

[kcirdor]

I was just learning the game but I *definitely* remember being able to predict Carl Smith running a draw play in 3rd and long. Every. single. time.

Not gonna defend Mora though

Yes, the man instructed by Jim Mora to run the damn ball, kill the clock. My defense can protect the lead. Like clock work. every game two scores up, RUN RUN RUN, Prevent, Touchdown, Run Run Run, Prevent Touchdown, Pray for Morten Anderson to be better than his career average. How many tears did little me shed over Jim Mora's coaching style.

 

[Derrick 63]

That anyone would possibly vote for Pete Carmichael among these options is just plain stupid.

Knee jerk reactions. It happens.

 

[bclemms]

That anyone would possibly vote for Pete Carmichael among these options is just plain stupid.

I wouldnt say that but at the very least they are really early.

 

[bclemms]

Saints are 27th in the NFL in points per play. Saints were 27th in NFL in points per play last season. Another couple seasons at this rate and they can match the longevity of suck Carl Smith delivered us.

Spags wasnt here long but was so bad it didnt take long for him to find the bottom.

 

[ndcc]

maybe this one? (Pete)

That streak ends with the start of the Carr-Kamara partnership.

 

[NS_Saint]

Carl Smith has actually gone on to have quite a successful career developing QBs. Mora ruled with an iron fist so it wouldn't surprise me at all if he made Carl Smith go conservative late in games.

 

[Madmarsha]

I'd say Carl Smith but Spags ruined our chance at multiple Championships. It's so *infuriating* to hear announcers praise him now

fixt

 

[BreesusSaves]

 

[Saint KayBee]

I would have liked to see Spagnuolo and Payton on the sideline together for a season before considering him. His defenses since then have been fine.

It's so very tempting to vote for Carl Smith here, but the front office gave him 248923894234 running backs and 2 wide receivers, plus zero pass-catching TEs, during his time with the Saints. Figuring out that entire era of Saints football is grody.

It's also tempting to pick Carmichael, but I don't get the feeling he'll be around much longer. Two years of being the guy on his side of the ball isn't enough to sway me.

I've seen some write-ins for Abramowicz but safe money says Ditka meddled in that offense way more than he should have, given how out of touch he was with how football had evolved by the time he came back to the sideline. Ditka saw Ray Zellars in a #34 uniform and all but treated him like he was Walter Payton. If you told me Zellars was anything other than a very nice person trying hard to do his job well, I'd be surprised, but Walter Payton he was not.

How Rick Venturi sneaked onto this franchise's coaching staff for three different head coaches genuinely perplexes me. Success evaded him the way good pass rushers evade blocks (which they rarely did under his tutelage!). I don't know who the player is you point to and say, "Rick Venturi had that guy playing lights-out, he was a real difference maker on the defensive side of the ball." Recency bias is the only explanation I can draw for why Spagnuolo has 3x as many votes as Venturi does. Venturi should be dominating this poll.

 

[NOLAJM504]

The answer can be nothing other than Carl Smith. Had four NFL hall of fame LBers on one team, and we went 3 and out almost every time the offense took the field.

 

[kwkrnu]

Which makes me wonder if it was us? I think his scheme is predicated on getting pressure with the front four. I may misremember tho.

Just about any scheme would work when getting pressure with the front four. Hell, I could do some crayon drawing and make a defense that'd work decent while getting good pressure with the front four.