Saints plan to interview former Dolphins’ HC Brian Flores, who is a finalist for the NY Giants HC job, per source.
First things first, though; a decision from the NY Giants on their head coach is expected this weekend, and Flores is one of their finalists.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 28, 2022
Another candidate has been added to the New Orleans Saints head coach search, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter: Brian Flores, who held the same position with the Miami Dolphins until his surprise firing earlier in January. He’s since become one of the most sought-after options on the market, and he’s a finalist for the New York Giants job. So the Saints may not even get the chance to interview him.
That’s a consequence of not entering the sweepstakes until so late in the process, but it can’t be helped now. They’ve got to work around the clock to meet with candidates to replace Sean Payton. At least they’re considering great options in Flores along with Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (their former secondary coach), and Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who got a quick endorsement from Payton during his outgoing press conference.
It’s possible that Allen is seen as a shoo-in for the job, so the team is just going through the motions to check boxes and satisfy the Rooney Rule. Leftwich has been in close negotiations with the Jacksonville Jaguars in recent days and, like Flores, may not get the opportunity to interview with New Orleans. Teams must meet with two minority candidates to start the process and, if we’re being cynical, adding Flores as a contingency in case Leftwich bows out first might be the Saints’ angle here.
But let’s hope they’re giving each coach a genuine shot at the job. They owe it to themselves and their fans to hire the best candidate — if that ends up being Allen, that conclusion should only be reached after scouring the market and carefully comparing his resume against his competition. Just handing him the job and asking him to do his best Sean Payton impression might make for a disaster.
