The NFL head coach hiring cycle finally concluded this week when both of the Philadelphia Eagles coordinators left for new positions: the Arizona Cardinals hired Jonathan Gannon (defense) while the Indianapolis Colts brought in Shane Steichen (offense).
Steichen is one of three first-time head coaches the New Orleans Saints will face off against in 2023, and one of those new coaches is building quite an operation within their own division.
Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers will get two games with the Saints to back up their offseason hype. Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is kind of a wild card, given the scale of the rebuild he’s facing, but the upside in a highly-drafted rookie quarterback might be a problem for New Orleans’ defense in the fall.
The Saints had a tough time dealing with first-year head coaches in 2022; Dennis Allen’s team went 1-3 in those matchups (not including a loss to interim Panthers coach Steve Wilks). Let’s take a deeper look at each opponent:
Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich (twice)
Panthers’ record in 2022: 7-10
This is Reich’s second shot as an NFL head coach, having gone 40-33-1 with the Indianapolis Colts. He’s already built a quality staff with assistants like Jim Caldwell, Ejiro Evero, Dom Capers, Duce Staley, and Josh McCown. The Panthers are in the mix for former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, but Carolina is also positioned well to select a rookie passer at No. 9 overall in the 2023 draft.
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans (away)
Texans’ record in 2022: 3-13-1
A former Texans Pro Bowler and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Ryans has raised his profile around the league in recent years as the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator, and now he’s running his own team. He’s known as one of the sharpest minds around the league but he has a difficult rebuild ahead of him with one of the NFL’s thinnest rosters. His first assignment is finding a franchise quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick.
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen (away)
Colts’ record in 2022: 4-12-1
Steichen most recently worked as offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers, and he has a history of coaching quarterbacks. This is his first time as an NFL head coach and he’ll be trusted to draft and develop one of the top passers in this year’s class. Indianapolis has a lot to work with and he could get them on the right track quickly if they can find a good quarterback at No. 4 overall.
