The New Orleans Saints' head-coaching search might take a little longer than the team initially hoped after their early round of interviews.
The Saints were the second team to fire a head coach in 2024, canning Dennis Allen on Nov. 4 after a 2-7 start to the campaign.
The New Orleans Saints had a candidate in mind
Former Green Bay Packers Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike McCarthy was expected to be on the top of New Orleans’ list after the Dallas Cowboys let the 61-year-old coach leave in free agency.
McCarthy, who has a 174-112 record as a head coach in the league and an 11-11 record in the postseason, went 49-35 in his five years in Dallas. The 2024 Cowboys finished 7-10 in a season where they lost Dak Prescott to midseason.
Mike McCarthy flubbed the interview
Per Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, the initial interview with McCarthy did not go well, and the Pittsburgh native could be out of a job until next year’s cycle.
“Rumors at Shrine practice had McCarthy getting the Saints job but people on Wednesday told me initial conversations with the team have not gone well and people in the New Orleans organization are not enamored with the former Cowboys coach,” Pauline wrote.
Part of the Saints’ hold-up has to do with general manager Mickey Loomis wanting control over the coaching staff.
“As mentioned several weeks ago, general manager Mickey Loomis prefers to keep some of the assistant coaches presently under contract, and many believe that could be the hold-up,” Pauline wrote.
McCarthy took the 2019 season off after he was released from the Packers. It looks like he’ll have another gap year.
