Top Candidates in the Saints' Coaching Search: An NFL Insider's Perspective

Aaron Glenn and Mike Vrabel are two of the favorites in the Saints coaching search, for now.

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn watches a play against Indianapolis Colts during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind. on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Saints are coming off a disastrous performance in primetime, and they simply got embarrassed in the national spotlight. Yes, injuries are part of the game, but let's not be confused. That 34-0 loss wasn't all about injuries.

New Orleans is going to have to do a lot of soul-searching in the offseason, and it's imperative that they get their next head coach right. However, that won't magically fix the team. ESPN's Adam Schefter gave an update on the Saints coaching search prior to the game, which hones in on two particular candidates.

“They are going to heat up their coaching search towards the end of this season,” Schefter said during pregame. “One of the candidates expected to be square on their radar will be the Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn who has coached in New Orleans, has a history with the franchise, the organization knows him well. I also expect the organization to have some level of interest in the former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. And of course there will be other names.”

Schefter also pointed out that their quarterback situation will be something to monitor, and unsurprisingly said that Derek Carr is likely their guy going into 2025. That's something we've hit on plenty.

Schefter said, “And because this team is so strapped against the cap, Derek Carr is in line to be back next year. They don’t have a lot of flexibility, he makes the most sense, and it certainly looks like he could be back next season even though he is inactive tonight.”

Less than a week ago, SportsBetting.Ag gave their updated odds for the next head coach of the Saints. Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady had the best odds (+300), with Ben Johnson and Darren Rizzi in the next group (+400), then Aaron Glenn (+500) and Mike Vrabel (+900).

Vrabel and Glenn were two top-tier candidates I highlighted when looking at the list of potentials for New Orleans over the bye. Glenn does make the most sense, and both have strong defensive backgrounds, something that the Saints really do need right now. However, you're looking at a multi-year plan to get them anywhere close to being a contender in the division at this point.

There's just two games left in the Saints regular season, and while it might be beneficial to fill their vacancy with a quickness, it might not be until the end of January until we get the next coach for New Orleans.