New Orleans Saints insider Nick Underhill believes ex-Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy was actually interested in interviewing for the team's vacant head coaching position, despite dropping out of the running last night.
The Saints haven't had the best luck in filling the opening, which has led to jokes that no one really wants the job in the first place. McCarthy's premature, pre-meeting exit then added some fuel to that fire.
But Underhill is saying he thinks McCarthy did want to interview, but he got the sense the Saints weren't going to go with him, anyway.
"Saw last night Mike McCarthy dropped out of it. You know, in the way we've been talking about that and covering it, it just kind of felt like there was a lot more interest from Mike than the Saints had in him," Underhill says, speaking from the sidelines of the Senior Bowl.
"It felt like he really wanted to get down here and interview, and it feels like the Saints had their sights set on someone or something else, and I think him dropping out is just indicative of the level of attention there. I think he probably got a feel for it going somewhere else and decided to drop out of the race."
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— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) January 29, 2025
With McCarthy out of the running, Underhill bets the team is eyeing Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, toward whom Fox Sports' Peter Schrager also believes "all signs point." Underhill qualifies that he is "just reading the tea leaves," and not reporting anything official, but Moore does fit the profile of the team's desired candidate.
"It'd be an interesting choice," Underhill says of Moore. "No connection to the Saints, totally new thought process, guy playing in the Super Bowl, has that Philly offense looking really good right now ... it just kind of feels like that's the direction things are going right now."
Otherwise, ESPN reported Tuesday evening that the remaining candidates are believed to be New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who, like Moore, both had second, in-person interviews with the team. The Saints reportedly have no plans to interview anyone else.
If Moore is ultimately the guy for the Big Easy, New Orleans will have to wait until after the Super Bowl on Feb. 9 to make it official. Stay tuned.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Saints Insider Believes Mike McCarthy Had Interest in Interviewing For Head Coach Job.
