Saints Assistants Getting Attention from NFL Teams

The New Orleans success over the last several seasons could cause the loss of some important assistant coaches and front office personnel.

Some members of the New Orleans Saints coaching staff and front office are already attracting the interest of several teams for various openings. Saints Director of College Scouting and Assistant General Manager Jeff Ireland is a hot commodity just one day after the end of the regular season. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions have requested permission to interview Ireland for their vacant General Manager positions.

Saints Asst GM Jeff Ireland CREDIT: nola.com

Ireland has been with New Orleans since 2015. He began his professional career as a scout for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1997, serving in that same capacity with the Dallas Cowboys before being promoted to Vice President of College and Pro Scouting with the Cowboys from 2005 to 2007. He was the General Manager for the Miami Dolphins from 2008 to 2013, then served as a draft consultant for the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 before joining the Saints.

Ireland has oversaw some outstanding drafts for New Orleans.  Since 2016, the Saints have drafted stars like Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Alex Anzalone, Erik McCoy, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson within the first few rounds. 

Ireland and his staff have helped make New Orleans the league's deepest team by unearthing talent in the late rounds of the draft or undrafted contributors. Previously overlooked players like Deonte Harris, David Onyemata, Trey Hendrickson, Marquez Callaway, Malcolm Roach, and Shy Tuttle were grabbed in later rounds or snatched up after going undrafted because of the diligent work of Ireland and his staff.

New Orleans Saints assistant head coach and tight end coach Dan Campbell. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Per Albert Breer of the NFL Network, New Orleans Tight ends coach and Assistant Head Coach Dan Campbell is among the first four interviews by the Detroit Lions for their head coaching position. He has head coaching experience, serving as the interim coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015, posting a 5-7 record. Campbell was an NFL tight end for 11 seasons. His first team was the New York Giants, where Sean Payton was his offensive coordinator from 1999 to 2002. He rejoined Payton as a backup tight end for the Saints in 2009, contributing for a New Orleans team that won Super Bowl XLIV.

Campbell began his coaching career with the Miami Dolphins in 2011, serving as their tight ends coach until his stint as interim head coach. He joined Payton's coaching staff in 2016, where he has been part of the brain-trust of one of the NFL's best offenses. Campbell has been interviewed for several jobs over the previous two seasons.

Saints Director of Pro Scouting Terry Fontenot CREDIT: neworleanssaints.com 

Breer also reports that the Lions and Atlanta Falcons will also interview Saints Director of Pro Scouting and Assistant G.M. Terry Fontenot for their General Manager positions. Fontenot has been with the organization for 16 years in various capacities, including the past six seasons in his current role.

Fontenot is a native of Lake Charles, LA, and was a defensive back for Tulane University. Since Fontenot became the Director of Pro Scouting, the team has made several shrewd signings in free agency. Players such as Demario Davis, Malcom Brown, Taysom Hill, Emmanuel Sanders, and Jared Cook have been inked in free agency and played significant roles.

New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY

A name who has not yet been officially interviewed but expected to be looked at as a potential head coaching candidate is Dennis Allen, the New Orleans Defensive Coordinator. Allen began his NFL coaching career as a defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002 following two seasons with Tulsa. After four years with Atlanta, he was hired as a Defensive Line assistant on Sean Payton's first coaching staff with New Orleans in 2006.

Allen was promoted to Secondary Coach in 2008, where he served for three years and helped the franchise to its first Super Bowl championship in 2009. In 2011, he accepted a job with the Denver Broncos as their Defensive Coordinator. After one year in Denver, he was hired to be the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2012. Allen had a 8-28 record with Oakland, getting fired four games into the 2014 season.  

He’d rejoin Payton's staff in 2015 as a defensive assistant, getting promoted to Defensive Coordinator in 2016. Allen's defense finished the 2020 regular season with a top-five ranking in total yards, points allowed, turnovers forced, pass defense, interceptions, run defense, average per rush, and rushing touchdowns allowed.

Other New Orleans coaches who could garner interest from other teams include offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, receiver coach Curtis Johnson, defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, and secondary coach Aaron Glenn. The 12-4 Saints host the 8-8 Chicago Bears this Sunday in a first-round playoff matchup.