NEW ORLEANS — The Saints are without a head coach for the first time in 16 years.
Sean Payton announced his retirement Tuesday afternoon, starting the Saints hunt for a new coach.
The Saints could choose to keep their coaching staff intact, promoting Dennis Allen to the head coach position after his 9-0 win filling in for Sean Payton against the Tampa Bay Bucs.
However, there are a lot of big names on the market this season that could catch the Saints' eye.
DENNIS ALLEN
Saints Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen is the odds-on favorite right now to get the Saints head coaching gig.
Allen took over head coaching duties this season while Payton was out with COVID-19 and led the team to a 9-0 win over the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Allen began his coaching career with the Saints and was their secondary coach for their Super Bowl win. He was hired to be the Broncos DC soon after and then took over as the Raiders’ head coach in 2012.
He was fired halfway through his third season and ended his head coaching tenure with an 8-28 record.
Thankfully, he ended up with the Saints again and became their DC in 2015.
Is he the heir-apparent to Sean Payton?
ERIC BIENIEMY
Is it time for Eric Bieniemy to return to his home town?
Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator behind Kansas City’s record-setting offense, has been a top candidate for a head coaching spot for awhile now, so why hasn’t he been hired?
Questions remain about how much of KC’s offensive magic can be attributed to Bieniemy and how much belongs to head coach Andy Reid and QB Patrick Mahommes.
Bieniemy has answered those questions before: “I think people are making something out of nothing.”
No matter how big his role in the Kansas City offense is, it’s undeniable that he plays a major part in its success as their OC. Will the Saints turn to him to get their offense back on track?
BRIAN FLORES
After two winning seasons, the Dolphins firing head coach Brian Flores surprised a lot of people.
His teams didn’t make the playoffs in either of those years, but Flores is still considered one of the NFL’s best defensive minds and is expected to land on his feet with another coaching job this year.
Could it be with New Orleans?
JIM HARBAUGH
There are reports going around that Jim Harbaugh may be considering a return to the pros.
So far, Michigan’s head coach has been connected to the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears, but that was before the Saints head coaching spot opened up.
Recently, Harbaugh led the Michigan Wolverines to their first BIG 10 title since 2004 and took them to the College Football Playoffs (where they lost to Georgia). Before that, he had a successful four-year stint with the San Francisco 49ers, leading them to three straight playoff appearances and the 2013 Super Bowl.
In 2014, the 49ers missed the playoffs for the first time under Harbaugh with an 8-8 record. That .500 season ended with Harbaugh and the 49ers ownership “mutually agreeing to part ways.”
BYRON LEFTWICH
The Bucs offensive coordinator is one of the big names in this year’s hiring cycle.
Leftwich joined the Bucs as OC in 2019 and impressed quickly. Along with Bruce Arians, Leftwich coached Tampa Bay into a top-3 scoring offense with Jameis Winston under center.
Now, with Tom Brady, the offense is much more efficient and even earned him a Super Bowl ring.
Critics have the same problem with Leftwich that they do with Bieniemy, saying he’s just a product of his head coach and quarterback, but Arians has stepped to the plate for him.
“People give me way too much credit because I don’t do s***, really,” Arians said on the Rich Eisen Show. “He calls the plays. I’m really upset he didn’t get a head coaching interview.”
And it's got to be appealing for the Saints to pull talent away from a divisional foe.
AARON GLENN
Could Aaron Glenn return to coach for the Saints?
Glenn left the Saints to join Dan Campbell’s coaching staff on the Detroit Lions after working as the Saints’ DB Coordinator from 2016-2020.
After only one season with a Lions team that was one of the worst teams in the NFL, Glenn’s name is popping up on multiple NFL teams’ radars though, showing just how well liked he is around the league.
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