The New Orleans Saints are kicking off a new head coaching tenure in Week 10, but will it be longer than eight games?
We'll have to wait and see, but former Saints linebacker and current analyst Scott Shanle told WWL Radio this week he wouldn't be surprised at all to see Darren Rizzi hold on to the job after this season.
"[He's] definitely a high-energy guy, he captures the attention of everybody," Shanle said, calling back to watching Rizzi lead meetings during training camp this season. "He would have jokes. He would keep it light and then it’d be back to business, so I think he’s got a huge personality, but he knows how to grind when it’s time to grind and he knows how to have fun when it’s time to have fun, so if this team starts having success with coach Rizz, he’s gonna have a legitimate shot at being the head coach for the Saints. I truly believe that, that’s why they’re giving him this opportunity."
Listen to the full interview with Scott Shanle in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
Now exactly what results would it take to make an effective case to remove the interim tag? That remains to be seen. The Saints are sitting at 2-7 and tied for the worst record in the NFL. The first step will be to end a 7-game skid, and it sure would be a bonus to do that at the expense of the hated Atlanta Falcons.
The Saints will certainly hope they can get the "interim coach bump" that a lot of teams will see, spurred by changes and renewed energy. That's what happened in the 2015 season when Dan Campbell took over as interim for the Dolphins, a staff Rizzi was on as the special teams coordinator. That Dolphins won their next two games after a 1-3 start, but that success was short lived with a 3-7 record the rest of the way.
The team should also have high energy due to the rivalry, as well as Alvin Kamara expected to become the team's franchise rushing leader. The Saints will be hoping changes can create improved results, and hopefully a product that will reinvigorate the fanbase, as Shanle explains.
"Mrs. Benson knew that Dennis wasn’t gonna come back," Shanle said, "so I think at that point, when you know he’s no longer gonna be your coach you do something different to inject some life into your team, into your fanbase, because without hope, what’s the incentive for people to go to a game, what’s the incentive for people to buy a product, what’s the incentive to turn the TV on. ... I still think this team, when healthy, can still beat anybody on any given Sunday. They’re a talented team, but these injuries have been too much to overcome.”
The Saints (2-7) host the Falcons (6-3) for a noon kickoff on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome. Catch all the action on WWL and Audacy.
