The New Orleans Saints' search for a new offensive coordinator has officially stretched past the conference championship games. So what's the latest?
In the past week another name has been added (Eagles OC Brian Johnson), while another name has fallen off the board (new Falcons OC Zac Robinson), and the Saints have scheduled a second interview with a top candidate (Texans QB coach Jerrod Johnson).
Two coaches who have also been interviewed will continue to coach into the Super Bowl, though with a week off that could offer some opportunities for a decision.
See the full list of interviews that have been publicly reported below.
- Ex-Seahawks OC Shane Waldron (hired as Bears OC)
- Ex-Rams QBs coach Zac Robinson (hired as Falcons OC)
- Former Bengals QB coach Dan Pitcher (promoted as Bengals OC)
- Saints QBs coach Ronald Curry
- Texans QBs coach Jerrod Johnson
- Steelers QBs coach/interim OC Mike Sullivan
- 49ers QBs coach Brian Griese
- 49ers pass game specialist Klint Kubiak
- Ex-Eagles OC Brian Johnson
It's a hefty list of names that has been pared down slightly with some unsurprising moves. The Bears struck early with the Waldron hire, one that wasn't particularly surprising considering the current asset collection in Chicago, which includes the No. 1 overall pick. Two young names also were taken off the board with caveats. Pitcher was promoted by the Bengals after former OC Brian Callahan was hired as the Titans head coach. Meanwhile the Falcons effectively pulled off a two-fer with the hiring of head coach Raheem Morris, who then brought Robinson with him from the Rams' staff.
That leaves six remaining names, barring more interviews or any that went unreported. The most recent news was that of the Saints having Johnson back for a second interview, marking him as a potential front-runner. His situation is another that could be complicated, with current Texans OC Bobby Slowik a top candidate for head coaching jobs, of which there are two remaining openings (Commanders and Seahawks). With the Lions now eliminated, it's expected he could fill one of those positions. Should Slowik land a job, Johnson would likely be promoted and cease to be an option for New Orleans.
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Two other names in Kubiak and Griese are still coaching, with the 49ers rallying to beat the Lions in the NFC Championship. If they are serious contenders, the open week prior to the Super Bowl would be the most likely time for things to happen.
Two other interesting names are Curry and Johnson, the latter of whom has landed criticism -- along with the rest of the Eagles staff -- for a precipitous falloff in the final months of the season with losses in six of their final 7 games after a 10-1 start. Head coach Nick Sirianni was retained, but both coordinators were fired. Still, the Eagles' RPO scheme has been effective and could be an intriguing wrinkle to bring to New Orleans.
Curry represents the in-house option and has been spoken of highly for multiple offseasons. He could also become a candidate for teams such as the Panthers and Bucs, who will now be hiring OCs after Bucs OC Dave Canales was hired by the Panthers. If the Saints go outside the organization, it's entirely possible their QBs coach is poached for an OC job elsewhere.
It all boils down to an intriguing and important landscape as the team opts to hire an OC for the first time in nearly two decades. The Saints will be headed to the Senior Bowl this week for an important scouting event, and while the team has vowed to be loyal to its process and not rush to a hire, the pressure to make a move will certainly be ramping up over the next several weeks and with other teams looking to make similar hires.