NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
If the New Orleans Saints are serious about their head coach position, there might be a perfect fit out there for them in Pete Carroll. After firing Dennis Allen, New Orleans has to go back to the drawing board. Ever since Drew Brees moved on and eventually, Sean Peyton, the Saints have looked like a ship with no rudder. New Orleans needs to make a splash and Pete Carroll makes the most sense.
While the two coaches come from opposite sides of the football with their coaching history, their philosophies are generally the same. Both coaches teach smart, fundamental football with physicality being at the forefront. Carroll might be in his later years in the coaching cycle but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to hang them up. He’s still got the fire to coach and the Saints need a passionate guy to come in and right the ship. This would be a perfect opportunity for a coach to draw fan excitement for a few seasons, stockpile talent, and build for the next coach to replace Carroll when he eventually calls it a career.
Not to mention, Pete Carroll’s career speaks for itself. In 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, the Hawks reached the playoffs 10 out of 14 times, reached the division round 7 of those 10, took home two NFC Championships, and one Super Bowl victory. Seattle would also claim the number one seed in the NFC twice in that span. Not only has Carroll had success as a coach in terms of wins and losses, he also has a history of coaching great players.
When Carroll led the the Seahawks, Russell Wilson was one of the top QBs in the league, Marshawn Lynch was one of the best RBs in that era, and the Legion of Boom was devastating to opposing offenses. If the New Orleans Saints can buckle down with free agency and nail their picks in the NFL Draft, how far would they really be off from a very familiar outlook. Carroll would reinstall a defensive minded approach, something that helped win the Saints their last Super Bowl. If they can go out and get a veteran QB while drafting another one to develop, they’d be right back on top of their rebuild.
The problem with the Saints is lack of direction, and it’s lasted far too long. If there’s a clear indication that New Orleans is just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, look no further than Taysom Hill. Here’s a player who has had tremendous upside, but the Saints for years have treated him like he’s the next Kordell Stewart. He’s a tight end, but sometimes he plays QB, sometimes he runs the ball, and sometimes he’s a receiver. He’s done everything for the Saints except punt. How do you develop a player while spreading him so thin. If New Orleans is so desperate for playmakers, then that should send up a red flag in the front office.
At the end of the day, the New Orleans Saints need a coach with experience. No disrespect to the coordinators out there looking to get their first head coaching gig, but the Saints need more than that. If the Saints want to make a quick rebound in a softer division of the NFC, then their first and only phone call should be to Pete Carroll.
