The desire for New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis to build successful football teams persists, as does the belief that he and the committee overseeing the Saints’ coaching search will find the appropriate individual to lead the franchise on the field. “We’ve gotten it right before,” Loomis said Monday at a news conference that covered a wide range of topics following the Saints’ fourth consecutive season without a postseason appearance, which prompted an in-season coaching change. Dennis Allen was removed of his head coaching duties following a loss that put the Saints to 2-7 on Nov. 3, and Darren Rizzi was named interim head coach to finish the season on Nov. 4.
Loomis stated that the Saints are still in the early stages of their coaching search, as some candidates are with playoff teams, and NFL rules dictate when those candidates can be interviewed. And he indicated New Orleans remains a top choice for a head coach. “We’ve got the best professional sports league in the world, and there’s 32 jobs, and a lot of guys want to be head coach, so every job is attractive,” Loomis told reporters. “They simply are, including ours. “We have a lot to offer–a fantastic city, a great fan base, great ownership, and long-term stability in our building. And I believe we are perceived that way.”
Loomis, who was general manager from 2002 to 2012 until becoming executive vice president in 2013, is the most successful general manager in franchise history, having led the team to 208 regular-season victories and a 9-8 playoff record. The Saints’ coaching search panel includes Loomis, Jeff Ireland, Khai Harley, Michael Parenton, Randy Mueller, and Dave Ziegler.
“I think one of the things that’s really important is to be able to have a collective vision and be on the same page organizationally – ownership, GM, coach, coaches, personnel department,” according to Loomis. “We have to have the same collective vision, and we’ll get to there. “All of these candidates will have strengths and limitations, and we’ll have our own strengths and shortcomings and blind spots, so we just have to work through that and figure out – and we will – who the greatest fit is for us.” Loomis claimed he saw positives in the Saints’ 5-12 season. “I’m positive, I’m glass-half-full at all times,” the man replied.
“Even in a 5-12 season, I see a lot of positives that we can improve on. So I’m on the side of, man, this thing can go in the opposite direction fairly quickly. “I think I’m still very patient. I understand that you cannot ignore the results. However, you must occasionally delve beyond the results to identify the underlying causes of symptoms. And some are within our control, while others are not.
“We must do the best we can with the things under our control while also understanding those that are not. Nobody wants to hear it, but this injury was a major issue this season. A huge deal. Prevented us from winning games, from being competitive in games, and I believe we need to address that more than anything else.”
The next coach will select his own coaching staff; the Saints have confirmed interviews with Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, and Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. Rizzi, who interviewed for the head coaching position in 2022 when Allen was hired, said he expected an interview this week. Loomis stated that the team must also finish their internal player evaluations. “Obviously this was a tough season, not what we expected,” he informed me. “What stands out is the number of injuries; we need to look more into it. Is it possible to prevent certain things? Is there anything we missed throughout the evaluation process, for example. Everything is work that must be completed.
“I believe you can rebuild; what that implies varies depending on who you ask. In the NFL, I believe it is possible to turnaround a season quite rapidly. We’ve witnessed it with other teams. And there are many positive aspects on our roster, as well as certain areas where we need to improve and fill gaps. “Part of that will be the new coach’s perspective and vision.”
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