New Orleans Saints nice Reggie Bush believes Aaron Glenn is the favourite to be the staff’s new coach.
The franchise is searching for a brand new chief after firing Dennis Allen halfway by means of the 2024 season.
The Saints have struggled to seek out stability following Drew Brees’ retirement after the 2020 season and Sean Payton’s departure after the 2021 season.
The truth is, New Orleans has did not make it to the playoffs in every of the previous 4 seasons after successful no less than 11 video games in yearly between 2017 and 2020.
Nevertheless, the Saints could also be taking a look at their new coach in Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who really has a historical past in New Orleans as their defensive backs coach (2016-2020).
”I believe so,” says Bush in a one-on-one interview on behalf of his partnership with Tostitos if Glenn is taken into account the favourite to be the Saints’ head coach. “You’re seeing how a lot he’s modified this protection this 12 months. Even with the accidents that they’ve had, they’re nonetheless enjoying at a excessive degree. I believe it’s the final word testomony for a coach, whether or not you’re coach or not.”
The Lions’ protection has remained one of many high items within the league regardless of being decimated by accidents. Detroit misplaced Professional Bowl move rusher Aidan Hutchinson in Week 6 to a season-ending damage and misplaced beginning cornerback Carlton Davis in Week 15. Detroit ranks seventh within the NFL in factors allowed per recreation and turned in arguably their finest efficiency of the season once they allowed 9 factors to a Minnesota Vikings squad that had received 9 straight video games.
Bush additionally factors in direction of how Glenn was a star cornerback within the NFL, which can assist him earn the respect of the gamers within the locker room. The 52-year-old Glenn was a three-time Professional Bowl defensive again throughout his 15-year enjoying profession and performed his closing season with the Saints throughout the 2008 marketing campaign, the place he was really teammates with Bush.
“You discover the true teaching begins whenever you lose good gamers, and so they misplaced certainly one of their finest gamers on the defensive finish in Aidan Hutchinson,” says Bush. “I believe he confirmed that he’s succesful and likewise he’s a man that may command respect within the locker room as effectively. These guys will know that he’s not solely a coach, however he’s a man who performed too.”
Bush Says Saints’ Tremendous Bowl Staff Wasn’t All About Offense
Bush, who received a Tremendous Bowl with the Saints throughout the 2009 season, factors in direction of their aggressive model of protection as a cause for why they had been in a position to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Whereas many Saints followers bear in mind Payton, Brees and Bush, the defensive unit pressured lots of turnovers, rating second within the class whereas additionally rating third in interceptions.
“We had a extremely good protection,” says Bush of the 2009 Saints. “I don’t know what number of turnovers, however our protection was scoring touchdowns like each week. I believe what A.G. brings to the desk is precisely what New Orleans wants. We obtained to get our protection again to this, that attacking model of play and now we have offensive weapons.”
The previous veteran working again and Heisman Trophy winner believes Glenn’s teaching model mirrors the Saints’ model of enjoying throughout that 2009 Tremendous Bowl season. He additionally says that “good” defensive play is the “DNA” of any Tremendous Bowl staff.
“ I consider A.G.’s model of protection and simply that attacking model, that’s what we had once I was in New Orleans,” says Bush who performed for the Saints from 2006 till 2010. “That’s what helped us to win the Tremendous Bowl. We had been all the time offensive staff once I obtained there, however as soon as our protection picked up, that’s after we turned a Tremendous Bowl champion staff. I’ve been part of a few totally different championship groups. And that’s all the time been the DNA of championship groups.”
Subsequent Coach Should Embrace New Orleans Tradition
The Saints had been clearly spoiled by the tenure of Payton, who now coaches the Denver Broncos. Payton introduced a successful tradition that had by no means been seen earlier than in New Orleans, leading to 9 playoff appearances, seven division titles and 9 double-digit win seasons throughout his tenure there.
Previous to Payton’s arrival, the Saints had simply 5 playoff appearances and one playoff win throughout their first 39 seasons of existence.
Bush stresses the significance of the following head coach understanding the tradition of New Orleans, one thing that Glenn could be aware of contemplating his historical past of enjoying and training within the metropolis.
“ I believe they’re positively going to wish to seek out somebody who is not going to solely be an awesome coach, however anyone who will be capable of take within the tradition of New Orleans as a result of I believe that’s vital,” says Bush. “Whenever you go to New Orleans, whenever you coach in New Orleans, it is advisable perceive the tradition down there. It’s not nearly teaching the soccer staff, however folks eat, sleep and breathe the Saints in New Orleans.”
“It’s a football-first metropolis,” Bush continues to say. “They want anyone who’s going to have the ability to lead not solely the staff, however the metropolis as effectively in the best way that Sean Payton did.”
Bush performed his first 5 seasons below the management of Payton. He earned a First-Staff All-Professional honor throughout the 2008 season as a returner and began 42 of his 60 video games in New Orleans. The previous versatile menace explains that the following head coach ought to mirror what Payton did to assist lead the Saints again right into a successful period.
“I believed Sean did an awesome job at that, setting the bar excessive,” says Bush. “I additionally consider that it’s somebody that may are available in right here and do precisely what he did — proper teaching, proper quarterback, proper system — it could actually occur. It will probably work in New Orleans and we’ve confirmed that.”