Saints Advance Two Head Coach Candidates to Second Interview Stage

Kristen Wong | Jan 20, 2025

New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka looks on during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

UPDATE, Jan. 20, 1:45 p.m.: After publication, a third name was reportedly added to the second round stage: Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

The New Orleans Saints are inching closer to finding their next head coach after parting ways with Dennis Allen during the 2024 season.

The Saints plan to conduct second interviews with two candidates this week: New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, according to NFL's Tom Pelissero.

Kafka will interview with New Orleans on Tuesday while Weaver will interview on Wednesday.

Kafka, a former NFL quarterback, previously worked with the Kansas City Chiefs and served as the quarterbacks coach for Patrick Mahomes in his first two seasons as starter. He joined the Giants in 2022 as offensive coordinator, more recently adding assistant head coach to his title this past season. The Giants OC was a finalist for head coaching jobs in the last two hiring cycles, Pelissero noted.

Weaver joined Miami as the team's defensive coordinator in 2024 but has spent past stints on the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, working with a diverse array of coaches including John Harbaugh and Bill O’Brien.

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