Saints Assistant Coach Michael Hodges Leaves For Cincinnati Bengals

Saints lose their second coach in as many days, per Monday reports.

Detailed view of the New Orleans Saints helmet / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints have now lost two respected coaches in the last two days. On Sunday, it was reported that Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak had accepted the same position with the Seattle Seahawks.

Monday's news followed with New Orleans Linebacker Coach Mike Hodges joining the staff of the Cincinnati Bengals. Hodges will be the LB coach at Cincinnati, the same position he held with the Saints.

New Orleans has a coaching staff in flux. In fact, the Saints are the only NFL team currently without a head coach. The team is expected to have an in-person interview with Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore this week.

The Saints had second interviews with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver last week. Interim coach Darren Rizzi and former Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy are also reportedly in the mix for the job.

All of the New Orleans assistant coaches were allowed to interview with other teams. This is a common practice in the NFL, especially once a team fires it's head coach.

Dennis Allen was let go after a 2-7 start to the season. He was replaced by Rizzi, the team's special teams coordinator since 2019.

Mike Hodges

Linebacker Coach Michael Hodges (center) on the sidelines with the New Orleans Saints / patspulpit.com

Hodges, 38, has been with the Saints since 2017. He has received interest throughout the league for various roles this offseason and has also been interviewed for potential defensive coordinator spots in previous years.

Originally brought on as a defensive assistant, Hodges served in that role until being elevated to assistant LB coach in 2019. In 2020, Hodges was promoted to the team's LB coach. He remained with those duties until accepting the Bengals offer on Monday.

A highly respected defensive coach, Hodges oversaw a unit that developed draft picks like Pete Werner and Kaden Elliss. Additionally, Demario Davis evolved into one of the NFL's best defenders after joining the Saints in 2018.

Originally a collegiate linebacker at the Air Force Academy, Hodges would eventually be a walk-on at Texas A&M to wrap up his college career. During his final season in 2011, he was 2nd Team All-Big 12 and was awarded the Aggie Heart Award. This is the highest honor given to a senior Texas A&M football player.

Hodges joins a Cincinnati Bengals team that ranked just 25th in total defense last season. At the conclusion of the year, the Bengals parted with longtime defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

Former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden was hired late last week to replace Anarumo. Along with Mike Hodges, the Bengals also announced the addition of defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery to Golden's new staff.