By Ross Jackson
NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Saints assistant Todd Grantham has been hired by Oklahoma State as their next defensive coordinator. This marks a return to the collegiate ranks for the coach, who was the defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators from 2018-2021 and has had extensive collegiate coaching experience beforehand.
When New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi stepped into his role, he immediately began making changes. He reorganized the team’s locker room in order to put position groups back together, adjusted the practice schedule and quickly made some adjustments to the coaching staff.
One of the bigger changes that he instituted was a reassignment of responsibilities on the defensive coaching staff. Those adjustments were headlined by moving Grantham from defensive line coach to a senior defensive assistant role and having assistant defensive line coach Brian Young take over coaching the unit. Now, Grantham is leaving the organization.
Grantham joined the Saints’ coaching staff following the departure of former defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen ahead of the 2023 season.
Since taking over the defensive line, Grantham’s unit had underwhelmed. In each year of Nielsen’s tenure, the Saints defense eclipsed 40 sacks in 16 games. In 2023, New Orleans finished with just 34 and are on pace for just about 38 this year. New Orleans has also struggled to defend the run over the last three seasons, including Nielsen’s final year.
Things have not panned out the way the team had hoped when they made the hire. After changing Grantham’s responsibilities, it seemed likely he would not be back with the team in 2025. A presumption that turned out to be true.
Not only will he not be on the Saints’ staff in 2025, but he will depart the team this week. Rizzi said during his Monday day-after media availability that Grantham will have his last day with the team on Tuesday before joining the Oklahoma State staff.
Rizzi also said that Grantham had been interested in returning to the college ranks. He will not get that opportunity with a team looking for a defensive turnaround after allowing more than 30 points in nine of its 12 contests in 2024.
Young will continue to coach the defensive line in New Orleans for the remainder of the season and could be a contender for the full-time role next year. But depending on the Saints’ head coaching search, nothing is for certain.
