Aaron Glenn and Joe Brady do not represent the same type of connection to the New Orleans Saints. With the speculation around Mickey Loomis prioritizing familiarity, Glenn and Brady are two names that should jump to the front of your mind.
The Detroit Lions defensive coordinator and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator have built their head coaching resume in their current locations, and they have both spent time in New Orleans.
Hiring Glenn provides a slight semblance of the decision to hire Dennis Allen. It could easily feel like you’re going with another connection to the Sean Payton era in an attempt to recreate the glory days. Glenn was with Payton for five seasons.
It would be irresponsible to boil down his head coaching candidacy to his connection to Payton. If that were the case, New Orleans would be the only team pursuing Glenn. The truth is he’s built a strong case for himself with Lions, especially with the obstacles the defense overcame this year.
However, the hire of Glenn would be viewed under a different lens in New Orleans compared to Chicago, for example, due to his history with the Saints. His history becomes the lead opposed to his resume.
Joe Brady’s greatest tie to the state of Louisiana isn’t even in New Orleans. You could argue the Saints fall fourth on the list of his coaching history. It is where he got professional start, but it is not where he rose to prominence.
Brady spent just two years with the Saints as an assistant. He was there with Payton, but this doesn’t feel like trying to recreate a spark at all. Brady still checks the familiarity box, but his two years as an assistant will not be what spearheads New Orleans’ pursuit of him.
