Why are all of the New Orleans Saints head coach interviews so far just online video chats? The Saints have spoken with multiple candidates including Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and his Miami Dolphins counterpart Anthony Weaver, as well as New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, but all of those discussions have been held virtually.
That’s because NFL rules dictate that interviews with all coaches currently under contract with other teams must first speak with the team virtually. So candidates like Glenn, Weaver, Kafka, Joe Brady, and Kellen Moore can get on a Zoom call with Mickey Loomis, but Mike McCarthy is free to visit the facility in-person at any time. On top of that, discussions with coaches on playoff teams are now capped at three hours — whether it’s a video chat, formal sit-down or a conversation over dinner.
If any of those coaches’ teams are eliminated during this weekend’s Divisional Round games, they can fly into New Orleans and interview in-person as soon as Jan. 20.
Any coaches who win and advance must wait until Jan. 27 to speak with Loomis and Co. in person. At that point they’ll either have been eliminated from the conference championship games or moved on to Super Bowl LIX. That coincides with Senior Bowl week (Jan. 27 to Feb. 1) when most of the NFL converges on Mobile, Ala., so some meetings may occur there. The Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas occurs at the same time but fewer league executives looking to hire someone and coach candidates seeking work will be in attendance.
What about teams going all the way? Coaches on Super Bowl teams may only interview in person if they’ve previously conducted one of those virtual meetings, and only in a brief window of Jan. 27 to Feb. 2. After that, no contact is allowed until Feb. 10. This was also the case for Klint Kubiak and the Saints last winter. The team has shown before they’re willing to wait on who they feel is the right fit for the job, and that sequence could repeat this time around. So if you weren’t already planning to watch the remaining playoff games, be sure to tune in if there’s a certain head coach candidate you’re wanting for New Orleans.
