Saints Put In Interview Request for Byron Leftwich, Aaron Glenn

The Saints have put in interview requests for Tampa's Byron Leftwich and Detroit's Aaron Glenn.

John Hendrix | Jan 27, 2022

The Saints are facing unfamiliar territory for the first time in a long time without Sean Payton as their head coach. As the search goes on, things are certainly heating up for New Orleans. According to reports on Thursday by ESPN's Adam Schefter and SI's Albert Breer, you can add Byron Leftwich and Aaron Glenn in the list of names of potential candidates.

The Saints put in formal requests to interview these two, which will certainly add to a list that consists of Dennis Allen as the frontrunner. Owner Gayle Benson said on Tuesday following Sean Payton's press conference that the team was going to make a thorough search and choose the right person for the position.

Byron Leftwich started his venture into coach in 2016 after last playing for the Steelers in 2012. After making his way up as an intern with the Cardinals, he took over as the quarterbacks coach for Bruce Arians after the two had history in their time at Pittsburgh. Leftwich eventually took over as an interim offensive coordinator in 2018, but was fired shortly after. He then reunited with Arians in Tampa in January 2019.

As for Aaron Glenn, many remember him for his time with the Saints. He was instrumental in changing one of the league's worst secondary units, coaching them from 2016-2020 before getting promoted to be the Lions' defensive coordinator for Dan Campbell.

Saints Head Coach Search Taking Shape

The Frontrunner

Dennis Allen has been with the Saints on two separate stints and would be the logical choice to take over for Sean Payton.

The Former Player

Aaron Glenn has history with the Saints, most notably as their DB coach from 2016-2020.

DC in Detroit

Glenn left the team for a promotion with the Lions to work under Dan Campbell in 2021.

Leftwich Interesting

Byron Leftwich has certainly had an interesting ride as a coach, and many feel he's more than ready to lead.

Leftwich's QB Lineage

Leftwich played a lot of years at QB after being a former 1st Round draft pick. Many forget he played for the Falcons, among other teams from 2003-2012.

Sean Payton's advice to the next coach was simple and straight forward: "You have to be yourself."

Contrary to popular belief, the Saints are going to be a premiere destination. Someone who is willing to put in the work can absolutely help keep New Orleans going in the right direction. Who that person will be ultimately remains to be seen. A subtle reminder on the NFL offseason calendar is that whoever does become the Saints head coach will be able to start their offseason program on Apr. 4, two weeks earlier than what Payton would have been able to do.

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Published Jan 27, 2022

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net