Well that was a fun 15 minutes. The Purdue Boilermakers announced Thursday that one of their most prominent alumni had returned to the football program with Drew Brees accepting a role as an interim assistant coach, helping to bridge the gap after longtime head coach Jeff Brohm moved on. It was widely noted that this would give Brees some college-level coaching experience ahead of the NFL hiring cycle in January, fueling more than a little daydreaming among New Orleans Saints fans that he might come back to swap his old helmet for a headset.
“No,” Brees said quickly when asked if he’s interesting in coaching full-time at the college or pro level, during an interview with WWL radio in New Orleans on Thursday evening. He continued, “This is just a short-term thing, and like I said, this came about just with Coach Brohm leaving and us being in a position where we were trying to fill the gap.”
The Boilermakers are working without more than their old head coach. Their starting quarterback, leading receiver, top tight end, and best cornerback have all bowed out of the upcoming Citrus Bowl with the LSU Tigers in favor of preparing for the 2023 NFL draft, so it’ll be on Brees to help get their backups up to speed. He’s stepping in to assist his alma mater, not looking to kickstart a coaching career.
So while that may leave some fans hoping for Brees to take over the ailing Saints offense disappointed, ultimately it’s what’s best for No. 9 and his family. He’s explored a couple of different ventures in retirement, and while nothing has stuck yet, that doesn’t mean he won’t stick with something soon. For now we’ll just be looking out for him on the Purdue sideline in Jan. 2’s bowl game.
