Black Monday has come and gone, and interview requests are flying all over the NFL as teams look for their next head coach. The Saints, Jets, Bears, Patriots, Jaguars and Raiders are vetting coaches daily. We asked the team at 104.5 ESPN who they think will be the next man for the job.
Jacob Hester, Co-Host Off the Bench: Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills OC. The fans can get behind someone who is not a retread. You could never believe in Dennis Allen because of how bad he was in Oakland. You never had anything to fall back on to give you hope. In light of your quarterback situation being in flux, you’re going to require someone capable of devising a creative offensive game plan and masking some of the offensive shortcomings. Brady has a familiarity with the Saints and would fit into the unique culture from the start.
T-Bob Hebert, Co-Host, Off the Bench: I unfortunately don’t have a strong opinion on who the next head coach of the Saints will be. Whoever it is will be taking over a rough situation. One element of the hiring that I do feel relatively strongly about is what STYLE of coach I would like to see hired. I am going to steal one of Jacob Hester’s takes and say that after going with a defense first coach in Dennis Allen I want the next Saints head coach to be one who’s pedigree lies on the offensive side of the ball.
Taylor Sharp, Video Producer, Off the Bench: Honestly, I could go a lot of different places. I think Mike Vrabel is the safest option that nobody would hate. Ben Johnson is the hot name that everyone wants. I could totally see the Saints rolling with Darren Rizzi for a year. I think I’ll go with Rizzi because this front office has done nothing to believe that they will make the right decision.
Charles Hanagriff, Co-Host, Live at Lunch: I have no idea who next coach of the Saints will be, but it won’t be any easy hire. The roster is old, lacking playmakers, and the quarterback of the future probably isn’t in the building right now. The bloated salary cap makes it difficult to acquire talent other than through the draft, and the GM is way more likely to trade up than down. There is a reason there isn’t much depth on this team. The division remains mediocre, and it’s still one of only 32 of these jobs, so there will be some interest, but the hot names like Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson are likely to have better offers. Go with the best young coordinator you can sign, and hope you find the next Sean Payton.
Hunt Palmer, Host, The Hunt Palmer Show: I’ll go with Todd Monken. He’s done a fantastic job with Lamar Jackson and that Baltimore offense. He’s got head coaching experience, albeit at the college level. I’ve seen a noticeable drop-off in the offense at Georgia since he moved on, and Carson Beck is a more talented player than Stetson Bennett. Baltimore has been a pillar of consistency in the NFL over the last 20 years. They’re doing something right over there. Pick off that tree.
Jacob Beck, Audio Producer, The Hunt Palmer Show: The next head coach of the Saints will be Aaron Glenn. Glenn has been one of if not the most mentioned candidate for the job since Dennis Allen was fired, and the reasons make a lot of sense. Glenn actually played for the Saints in his last season as a pro and coached DB’s for four years under Sean Payton before Dan Campbell brought him to Detroit to be his defensive coordinator. The Lions have won a lot of games in the last three years, but it hasn’t been due to the defensive play. The Lions average ranking for both points and yards allowed during Glenn’s tenure is in the mid 20’s. But winning games is what matters most, and the Lions have done that. I don’t like the hire, but it makes too much sense for an organization that tends to play it safe and likes to keep the status quo.
Matt Moscona, Host, After Further Review: Joe Brady. Typically, when one style of hire doesn’t work, you go the opposite direction. Dennis Allen was a retread and veteran defensive coach. Brady is a young, offensive mind who has familiarity with the organization. While I believe Lions OC Ben Johnson would be the better hire, he’ll have better options.
Paul O’Neill, Video Producer, After Further Review: I would not have said this name a month ago, but Ben Johnson to the Saints just makes sense now. The roster and finances are not in the best situation, but New Orleans has no choice but to have patience. New Orleans is the perfect spot for an offensive minded coach to build an offense. Playing in a dome could be appealing and getting to draft your quarterback of the future in 2025 or 2026 could give Johnson the time to build a winner. Ben Johnson will be the most sought-after coaching candidate so he will have his pick of the litter when it comes to coaching vacancies. If the Saints can get the salary cap issues fixed, Ben Johnson could build a winner in New Orleans over the next several years.
Matthew Musso, Audio Producer, After Further Review: Joe Brady. He’s a young offensive mind who is having a ton of success this year in Buffalo. We’ve heard time and time again that Mickey Loomis is going to hire someone he knows. Brady fits the profile although he wasn’t in New Orleans long. There’s always risk in hiring the young guy with no head coaching experience, but the organization needs to start taking some risks.
