Sean Payton sure is spending a lot of energy plotting his return to the NFL after moving so eagerly to bail on the New Orleans Saints. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the former Saints coach is already beginning to recruit members of his next coaching staff, with Vic Fangio as his top pick for a defensive coordinator.
Fangio, 64, was dismissed after a 19-30 run as Denver Broncos head coach and is currently working as a consultant for the 13-1 Philadelphia Eagles. The former “Dome Patrol” linebackers coach has decades of experience working in the NFL as a defensive coordinator, and he’d probably be a good fit with Payton as an experienced coach who can command his side of the ball while Payton installs his offense.
But the real story here is that it feels even more likely that Payton will be coaching in the NFL next season. He’s seeing enough promising opportunities around the league that he expects to find a job he likes enough to end his brief stint in TV work, and he’s already starting the groundwork to find some help. Maybe he ends up working in Los Angeles, or Arizona, or maybe even New Orleans.
The Saints are probably going to try and talk Payton into sticking with them — if he wants to coach again so badly, why not do it where he’s had the most success? — and it’s hard to see Dennis Allen being demoted to defensive coordinator under Payton and keeping any credibility. Fangio would be a fascinating replacement. We just don’t know what Payton wants to do. Maybe he’s looking for a fresh start somewhere else. We’re weeks away from finding out.
