The search to replace former New Orleans Saints assistant coaches in Joe Vitt, Bill Johnson, Greg McMahon, Stan Kwan, and James Willis seemed to have drug on for months although it’d been only been a little over three weeks.
The answer to who will be taking over is usually an obvious one if not a quick one where teams generally have the replacement for coaches either ready to interview or waiting in the wings of their own staff primed to take over.
I mean good grief the San Francisco 49ers have already tabbed their new general manager in broadcaster John Lynch and would already have signed Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as their new head coach if not for the fact Atlanta is still playing in the Super Bowl.
Even Johnson found a new gig after he wasn’t retained by the Saints, with the Los Angeles Rams scooping him up shortly afterwards to coach the defensive line as he did in New Orleans.
I can hear the fanbase already: “C’mon guys let’s get this thing rolling! 2017 baby!! Super Bowl bound! Who Dat, Two Dat!!(Insert drunk howling)”….
The Saints did make a run at former 49ers defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, but the Washington Redskins managed to sway him their way instead much to the dismay of many, myself included.
The head coaching staff for New Orleans headed to the Senior Bowl this past week with not only draft prospects on their mind, but potential coaching candidates as well and they interviewed in both areas alike.
Notable names like former Alabama defensive line coach Bo Davis and former NFL head coach Mike Nolan were interviewed presumably with Davis in mind for the defensive line vacancy and Nolan for the linebackers spot which was the position he was reported to be sought for on the Jacksonville Jaguars staff recently after a stint coaching linebackers in 2015 with the San Diego Chargers.
SiriusXM NFL Radio reported late Monday that Nolan had indeed been hired by the Saints to fill the linebackers coach spot that Vitt had once had.
The area of special teams coach was thought to be filled with Kevin O’Dea who the Saints brought in this past season as a “consultant” but was viewed much like Dennis Allen was during former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s final year as a “future replacement.”
Just as quickly as Nolan’s hire was announced, the Saints made it official with the special teams coordinator position as well and brought in former Washington Redskins assistant special teams coach Bradford Banta to replace McMahon.
But another snag produced itself with Saints wide receivers coach John Morton leaving to become the New York Jets offensive coordinator, a huge loss considering the development of players like Willie Snead and rookie Michael Thomas under Morton’s tutelage.
Just as quickly though the Saints, according to ESPN’s Mike Triplett, Curtis Johnson who was previously the wide receiver coach for the team from 2006 to 2011 before leaving to become Tulane University’s head football coach.
Johnson was credited with helping develop receivers like Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem, Lance Moore, and Marques Colston who became a staple for the team on the way to a championship.
Frankly the Saints caught a bit of rare luck in this move since if Johnson hadn’t been available, they’d be on the hunt again.
The only thing the Saints have left to fill now is the defensive line position as well as the assistant linebackers spot that Willis held.
It makes you wonder why the process seemed so tedious for the Saints and moved at what appeared to be at a snail’s pace for a portion of Who Dat’s.
There’s probably several reasons if not for one positive one…finding the right fit.
Sure the Saints could hire any defensive line, linebackers, or special teams coach just to fill the void but one thing the team has been trying to accomplish is finding the right voice in the room, for the right players, at the right time.
It’s a task that teams like the New England Patriots have completed year after year with seemingly every positional coach squeezing talent out of every player from the big name starter to the third man on the depth chart.
Drafting and signing the right player helps, but if the coaching aspect fails then that can lead to a regression and more damaging in the form of “rinse and repeat” stagnation.
Even head coach Sean Payton has acknowledged the dangers of a one time testosterone fueled message from coaches can become stale, including his own.
An old, old-school coach set in their ways of teaching a new generation of players that would respond more to fresh, innovative coaching can be almost akin to someone in their 60’s arguing the benefit of you tossing your smartphone aside and using a flip phone instead because you need to get “back to the basics.”
Hmmmm, think I’ve heard that from the Saints staff before too in previous years.
Of course another part of the equation for the long process is coaches thinking about coming to the Saints are factoring in the half joking/half serious “YOLO Year” for the team in 2017 that could potentially spell the end of the Payton and Drew Brees partnership.
Payton has faced reports of flirtations with exploring his market with other teams the past few seasons and a usually annoying optimistic Brees even appears frustrated with the three consecutive 7-9 seasons as he heads to the end of his contract,
If a coach commits to joining the Saints, what happens if they have another down season and both key figures of the franchise are gone?
Then you have a new head coach coming in that may or may not decide to retain current members of the staff and you’re back to square one again after you took a gamble on the “we’re building something special here” message you were sold.
So just as the Saints have or had to be cautious in their search, so do potential coaches which brings back the notion of why the Patriots are so successful at retaining key members of their coaching staff even when they are highly coveted by other teams…stability of the franchise.
So don’t be surprised the interview process for the Saints took some time, or for now, continues to go on for some time.
As a matter of fact, be thankful.
However long it takes, finding the right fit for both the Saints and their new coaches will be one of the deciding factors going into the new season on if the team will not only find a measure of success, but build on it for the future.
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