Saints Coaching Search: Potential College Candidates Who Surprisingly Could Emerge

The Saints likely will not target the collegiate ranks to fill their coaching vacancy, but here's some names to watch if they do.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts to a play against the Georgia Bulldogs / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints will be among as many as 8-10 NFL teams that are expected to have a coaching vacancy this offseason. Now at 5-11 going into the season finale at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Saints fired Dennis Allen after a 2-7 start to the year.

Several NFL coordinators will be highly sought after for head coaching jobs. Other veteran head coaches like Mike Vrabel, Jon Gruden, and Pete Carroll will also be pursued. One avenue that hasn't been mentioned much among the NFL rumor swirls, at least so far, is through the collegiate ranks.

There haven't been many who have made a successful jump from college to the pros. In fact, several have been colossal failures over the years. There are some, like Kirby Smart (Georgia), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), James Franklin (Penn St.), Ryan Day (Ohio St.), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), and Bret Bielema (Illinois) that are career college guys.

Here are some current college coaches that could emerge as surprise candidates for an NFL job. A few head up storied programs but have NFL ties. Others are extremely young talents rapidly rising through the coaching ranks.

Kalen DeBoer - Alabama

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With as much criticism as he faced in just his first year with the Crimson Tide and the accompanying expectations, DeBoer might almost find the NFL as a welcome relief. Replacing legend Nick Saban, DeBoer went 9-4 with a bowl loss to Michigan in his debut season at Alabama.

The 50-year-old DeBoer has skyrocketed through the collegiate ranks. He was first a head coach at the University of Sioux Falls from 2005 to 2009, accumulating a 67-3 record and winning three NAIA National Championships.

From there, he was an offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, and Indiana between 2010 and 2019. He'd next be a head coach at Fresno State from 2020-21, where he'd have a 12-6 mark including a 9-3 record in 2021. That would earn him a head coaching opportunity at the University of Washington.

In just his second season with the Huskies, DeBoer led his team to an undefeated 12-0 regular season and College Football Playoff win before falling to Michigan in the National Championship Game. He'd depart Washington with a 25-3 record to replace Saban at Alabama.

Kenny Dillingham - Arizona State

Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Kenny Dillingham / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Just 34 years old, Dillingham just completed an outstanding second year at Arizona State. His Sun Devils won the Big 12 championship, earned a first round bye in the CFP, and narrowly lost to a favored Texas team in overtime of the quarterfinals.

Arizona State was Dillingham's first head coaching job at any level. Prior to that, he'd made a name for himself as offensive coordinator at Auburn, Florida State, and Oregon since 2019.

After a 3-9 record in his first season, he's earned national accolades for turning around an embattled Sun Devils program. It's a stretch to see Dillingham as an NFL head coach at this stage, but don't be surprised if he gets some attention from some of college football's traditional powers.

Marcus Freeman - Notre Dame

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Any coach that leads the Fighting Irish to the college football playoff is definitely going to get national attention. After taking over for the departed Brian Kelly late in 2022, Freeman has a 31-9 overall record. That includes a 13-1 mark this season, a first round win in the College Football Playoff, then an upset of Georgia in the quarterfinal.

An elite leader, Freeman has gotten the most out of all his players. He's also an aggressive coach, an approach that his well-coached teams hahave obviously bought into with enthusiasm.

Freeman was a linebacker in the NFL for two seasons with the Bears, Bills, and Texans in 2009 and 2010. Since 2011, he's risen steadily through the coaching ranks as LB coach or defensive coordinator at Kent State, Purdue, Cincinnati, and Notre Dame.

While Freeman, only 38, is a highly respected defensive mind, it's hard to imagine him getting heavy NFL interest. A few more successful seasons at Notre Dame would likely change that drastically.

Josh Heupel - Tennessee

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel / Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

One of the more decorated quarterbacks in college football history, Heupel was an All-American, Walter Camp Award winner, and BCS National Championship winner at Oklahoma. After a failed attempt in the NFL, he'd return to the Sooners as an offensive assistant in 2004. Eventually rising to offensive coordinator, he'd remain at Oklahoma until 2014.

Once leaving the Sooners, Heupel was an offensive coordinator at Utah State and Missouri before becoming head coach at Central Florida in 2018. His first two seasons at UCF brought a 22-4 record, including a 12-1 mark and Fiesta Bowl appearance in his first full season. After the 2020 campaign, Heupel was named head coach at Tennessee.

Heupel's second year with the Volunteers resulted in an 11-2 record, Orange Bowl berth, and a season-ending 6th national ranking. His 37-15 record at Tennessee included a 10-3 mark and CFP Quarterfinal appearance this season.

Heupel, 46, annually has one of the more proficient passing attacks in college football. He's not expressed any public interest in the NFL. However, his pro-style attack and pipeline of talent into the league surely has the interest of NFL owners and general managers.

Lane Kiffin - Mississippi

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

It hasn't happened yet this year, but it's certainly not unusual to see the name of the well-traveled Kiffin attached to a coaching rumor. Among his many stops was in the NFL as head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2007 to 2008. He also has NFL ties through his father, respected longtime defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

Lane has been the head coach at Mississippi since 2020. He's amassed a 43-18 record in five seasons, including three nine-win campaigns and a 9-3 mark this year. Considered a terrific offensive mind, Kiffin has produced some outstanding offensive talent and has usually headed up extremely efficient units.

Buyer Beware: Kiffin, 49, is also known for a controversial personality and drama following him at nearly all his stops. He's had varying degrees of success as a collegiate head coach at Tennessee, USC, Florida Atlantic, and Mississippi. However, several of his teams have also fallen short of preseason expectations.

Lane Kiffin has also had tons of success as an offensive coordinator at USC and Alabama. He has produced a consistent NFL pipeline. Still, the controversy that usually follows him might be too much for an NFL team.

Dan Lanning - Oregon

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning celebrates the Big Ten Championship / Grace Smith/Indianapolis Star / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One of the hottest names in college football, Lanning heads up an Oregon program that has lost to only four teams in three years. Another that has skyrocketed through the coaching ranks, Oregon is Lanning's first head coaching job.

Prior to heading up the Ducks, Lanning was a well-traveled graduate assistant at Pitt, Arizona State, and Alabama. It was at Georgia as a defensive coordinator/LB coach that Lanning's stock really soared. He helped oversee one of the country's top units and a major pipeline of top NFL talent.

During Lanning's tenure, the Bulldogs won three SEC division titles and one national championship while setting the groundwork for back-to-back national titles. That earned him his first head coaching job, out on the west coast with Oregon.

In three years with the Ducks, Lanning has a 35-6 record, winning at least 10 games all three seasons. Oregon was ranked #1 most of this year and won the Big 10 title. Unfortunately, the Ducks were upset by Ohio State in the CFP Quarterfinal to finish 13-1.

The only downside to Lanning, who's only 38, is that his teams haven't won the most important games on their schedule. It's only a matter of time, but also something that will likely hold him back from NFL consideration temporarily.

Steve Sarkisian - Texas

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Under Sarkisian, Texas again appears to be among annual national title contenders. The Longhorns are in the CFP for a second straight year, advancing to the semifinals this season.

Texas has a 38-16 record under Sarkisian, but is 25-4 the last two years with a Big 12 title and SEC runner-up. It's been the most successful head coaching stop in Sarkisian's tenure. As head coach of Washington (2009-2013) and USC (2014-15) he had a combined record of 46-35.

Sarkisian also served as either QB coach or offensive coordinator at USC and Alabama (twice) at the college level. Additionally, he was a QB coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2004 and offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons from 2017-2018.

The 50-year-old Sarkisian has had far more success as a collegiate coach than at the NFL level. It still wouldn't be surprising if he attracted some NFL interest because he runs a pro-style attack that has provided more than a few talents at the next level.

The Saints seem most likely to target a current NFL coordinator for their next head coach. However, it wouldn't be surprising if a few of these college coaches were at least interviewed by New Orleans or for other NFL openings.

Freeman and Lanning are strong defensive coaches. DeBoer, Dillingham, Heupel, Kiffin, and Sarkisian are offensive specialists whose systems translate well to the NFL. It would be a surprise to see any of these coaches leave their current programs for an NFL job, but there always seems to be one or two surprise hires during the coaching cycle.