New Orleans Saints nice Reggie Bush believes Aaron Glenn is the favourite to be the crew’s new coach.
The franchise is on the lookout for a brand new chief after firing Dennis Allen halfway by means of the 2024 season.
The Saints have struggled to search out stability following Drew Brees’ retirement after the 2020 season and Sean Payton’s departure after the 2021 season.
In truth, New Orleans has didn’t make it to the playoffs in every of the previous 4 seasons after profitable at the least 11 video games in yearly between 2017 and 2020.
Nonetheless, the Saints could also be 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 feel 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 taking part in at a excessive degree. I feel it’s the last word testomony for a coach, whether or not you’re a superb 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 cross 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 after they allowed 9 factors to a Minnesota Vikings squad that had gained 9 straight video games.
Bush additionally factors in the direction of how Glenn was a star cornerback within the NFL, which is able to 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 taking part in 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 actual teaching begins once you lose good gamers, they usually misplaced one in all their finest gamers on the defensive finish in Aidan Hutchinson,” says Bush. “I feel he confirmed that he’s succesful and in addition he’s a man that can command respect within the locker room as properly. These guys will know that he’s not solely a coach, however he’s a man who performed too.”
Bush Says Saints’ Tremendous Bowl Group Wasn’t All About Offense
Bush, who gained a Tremendous Bowl with the Saints throughout the 2009 season, factors in the direction of their aggressive fashion of protection as a motive for why they have been in a position to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Whereas many Saints followers keep in mind Payton, Brees and Bush, the defensive unit pressured a whole lot 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 feel what A.G. brings to the desk is strictly what New Orleans wants. We received to get our protection again to this, that attacking fashion of play and we have now a superb offensive weapons.”
The previous veteran working again and Heisman Trophy winner believes Glenn’s teaching fashion mirrors the Saints’ fashion of taking part in throughout that 2009 Tremendous Bowl season. He additionally says that “good” defensive play is the “DNA” of any Tremendous Bowl crew.
“ I imagine A.G.’s fashion of protection and simply that attacking fashion, 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 have been at all times a superb offensive crew once I received there, however as soon as our protection picked up, that’s once we grew to become a Tremendous Bowl champion crew. I’ve been part of a few totally different championship groups. And that’s at all times been the DNA of championship groups.”
Subsequent Coach Should Embrace New Orleans Tradition
The Saints have been clearly spoiled by the tenure of Payton, who now coaches the Denver Broncos. Payton introduced a profitable 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 can be conversant in contemplating his historical past of taking part in and training within the metropolis.
“ I feel they’re undoubtedly going to want to search out somebody who won’t solely be an ideal coach, however anyone who will be capable of take within the tradition of New Orleans as a result of I feel that’s essential,” says Bush. “Whenever you go to New Orleans, once you coach in New Orleans, you should perceive the tradition down there. It’s not nearly teaching the soccer crew, however individuals 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 crew, however the metropolis as properly in the best way that Sean Payton did.”
Bush performed his first 5 seasons underneath the management of Payton. He earned a First-Group 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 profitable period.
“I assumed Sean did an ideal job at that, setting the bar excessive,” says Bush. “I additionally imagine that it’s somebody that may are available in right here and do precisely what he did — proper teaching, proper quarterback, proper system — it may occur. It might work in New Orleans and we’ve confirmed that.”
