Fansided

Saints ideal Dennis Allen replacement won’t be hired without a fight

By Scott Rogust

Sep 17, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, secondary coach Aaron Glenn and head coach Sean Payton in the second half against the New England Patriots at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Patriots won, 36-20. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, secondary coach Aaron Glenn and head coach Sean Payton in the second half against the New England Patriots at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Patriots won, 36-20. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-Imagn Images / Chuck Cook-Imagn Images
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The New Orleans Saints were the second team to fire a head coach this season. After losing 23-22 to the Carolina Panthers, the Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen in his third year at the helm after replacing Sean Payton. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was promoted to interim head coach for the rest of the season. While Rizzi could coach his way to the permanent gig, the Saints are likely to explore their options.

In terms of external options, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn does have links to the Saints organization. Glenn was a former cornerback for the Saints in 2008 and an assistant coach under Payton from 2016 until 2020. While Glenn would be the perfect fit for the Saints, they may have difficulty landing him.

According to ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, Glenn is generating a lot of buzz in the NFL for potential head coach openings.

"Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is generating more NFL buzz than in the past. His name comes up more often in league circles than I remember, and that's not just in relation to the Saints job, to which he has ties as a former assistant coach there," writes Fowler. "He has always had leadership traits, and now he has the proof of concept with Detroit's surging defense."

Saints may lose out on Aaron Glenn due to surging popularity among NFL teams

The Lions coaching staff could very well be purged next offseason. They are 8-1 on the year and favorites to make it to the Super Bowl as the NFC representative. With that, the expectation is that Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will leave for the head coaching positions of their choosing.

While the Jets and Saints are the only teams with a head coaching vacancy, there are expected to be more teams in search of a head coach. With that, Glenn could have the head coaching job of his choosing.

Glenn has been the defensive coordinator of the Lions since the 2021 season after joining fellow ex-Saints assistant coach Dan Campbell. Over the years, Glenn developed the defense into one of the best in the game, as evidenced this year.

The Lions allowed 19.0 points per game, the eighth-lowest in the NFL. Additionally, the Lions have the sixth-ranked rushing defense in the NFL in terms of yards allowed per game (100.8), and have recorded the second-most interceptions in the league (13).

The Saints, much like every year, are expected to be well above the salary cap threshold entering the league year. The thing is, general manager Mickey Loomis' job is expected to be deemed safe, and the Saints do not plan on entering a rebuild. So, it will be up to the candidate whether they want to work with Loomis and coach with the majority of that roster.

Glenn will be a popular candidate next offseason, and it will be interesting to see if the allure of returning to New Orleans will be enticing to him.

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