Saints fire Pete Carmichael: 4 immediate replacements for New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints are initiating a major change after missing the postseason. Pete Carmichael has been fired as offensive coordinator, per Ian Rapoport. An original fixture of Sean Payton's Saints staff dating back to 2006, Carmichael was New Orleans' O.C. for 15 years. He survived the initial regime change under Dennis Allen, but not a second-place finish in the wayward NFC South.
Last season, New Orleans managed the No. 14 offense in the NFL in terms of yards per game. Not terrible, but certainly not enough to warrant the major offseason investment in Derek Carr. A four-time Pro Bowl QB, Carr struggled to find his footing in the Saints' offense. He still produced well enough individually — 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns, eight interceptions — but New Orleans developed a nasty habit of falling behind early in critical games, only to dig their way out of the hole far too late.
It's time for a change. This is a difficult pill for many to swallow, as Carmichael was the mastermind behind some of the greatest offenses in recent memory. His partnership with Drew Brees will go down as one of the best OC-QB duos in recent memory. That said, the Saints need a fresh perspective. Here are a few viable candidates to watch out for.
4. Saints can hire former Panthers head coach Frank Reich
Frank Reich's tenure with the Carolina Panthers lasted all of 11 weeks. David Tepper is a notoriously impatient owner and Carolina's 1-10 start was too much to bear. Reich's reputation probably took a hit as a result, but the 62-year-old has been around the block several times. He was the Indianapolis Colts' head coach for five years before taking the Carolina job, and he was one of the league's brightest offensive coordinators before that.
Reich has proven he can engineer top-10 offenses in his sleep. With the right personnel, there's reason to believe he would improve the Saints' outlook in a winnable conference. Reich's head coaching career has been plagued by underwhelming QB play. He has more than his share of experience with over-the-hill vets or unready rookies. Derek Carr is a perfectly solid starting QB. For Reich, that might feel equivalent to water in the desert.
If the Saints want another experienced voice who spent last season learning the lay of the land in the NFC South, Reich is a reasonable choice. He surely has a chip on his shoulder after how things ended in Carolina. He could be eager to prove his chops under better circumstances.