Let's Set Odds: Who Will Be the Next Head Coach for the New Orleans Saints?

According to multiple sources in the NFL, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton will be retiring from his post after 15 years with the organization.

With the Super Bowl winning head coach leaving, the Saints quickly become one of the hottest jobs on the market. New Orleans missed the postseason by a game despite struggling to fill the void at quarterback for future Hall of Famer Drew Brees, who retired after the 2020 season.

The defense is one of the most complete units in the NFL and there will surely be a ton of interest in the head coaching position.

Who are some likely candidates? Who has the inside track? Here are some names that make sense for the Saints' vacant head coaching job with some hypothetical odds.

Jim Harbaugh (+1100)

It's a long shot but the rumors continue to swirl around Harbaugh making the leap back to the NFL ranks.

Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl XLVII and a sterling 44-19-1 record across four regular seasons. However, the former Michigan quarterback returned to Ann Arbor to coach the Wolverines, recently taking them to the College Football Playoff Semifinals this past season.

The murmurs of Harbaugh being interested in the Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Chicago Bears has been apparent, but the Saints may provide Harbaugh with the stability he is looking for to jump back to the pros, if there is interest.

Brian Daboll (+800)

The Bills offensive coordinator is one of the hottest names in the coaching market, especially after being the brains behind two incredibly impressive offensive performances in the postseason, but will he be available?

The New York Giants hired Buffalo's assistant GM Joe Schoen at the end of last week, and the team quickly moved to have an interview with Daboll. It appears that Daboll is a perfect fit with Big Blue, but the Saints offense arguably has more upside around Alvin Kamara and a formidable defense that the Giants lack. This is definitely a long shot though.

Doug Pederson (+500)

Pederson took a year off of coaching after the shine wore off his Super Bowl winning campaign, but could he jump back in with a ready to contend roster? Quarterback is a big issue, but Pederson was able to coax a Super Bowl run out of his backup QB Nick Foles before.

He may have sat out the coaching cycle last season, but the Saints are not the typical coaching vacancy, let's see if the organization looks to go for a veteran to transition quickly from Payton.

Joe Lombardi (+275)

Lombardi has plenty of history with the Saints, starting as an offensive assistant in 2007 before completing two tours of duty with the team as quarterback's coach, from 2009-2013 and 2016-2020. Last season, Lombardi was the offensive coordinator for Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.

He recently completed a head coach interview with the Houston Texans, so there is interest in him amongst the head coach ranks. The Saints do figure to be a team that doesn't want to shake up the team too much after losing such a beloved figure in the locker room and Lombardi can be a familiar face to bring back.

Dennis Allen (-150)

If you connect the dots, Allen makes a ton of sense for New Orleans. Just think back to earlier this season, when Allen coached the Saints to an upset victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Payton tested positive for COVID-19.

Allen has been the defensive coordinator for New Orleans since 2015, and has had roles with the team at different points dating back 2006. He is the architect of the Saints defense that finished second in EPA/Play last season and will maintain stability around the organization in place of Payton.

Allen does have head coach experience, albeit not great, going 8-28 with the Raiders from 2012-2014. After a failed stint there, he has rebuilt his image with New Orleans. He should be seen as the clear front runner.