BREAKING: Saints Assistant Coach Grantham Reportedly Leaving For Collegiate Position

Another coaching move before what is sure to be a busy offseason on the Saints coaching staff.

Oklahoma State Cowboys helmet / William Purnell-Imagn Images

New Orleans Saints defensive assistant Todd Grantham will reportedly be leaving the team to join the Oklahoma State Cowboys after this season. Grantham, 58, is in his second season with the Saints.

On Sunday, PokesReport.com was the first to report that Grantham was going to be hired as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. Current Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy recently agreed to an unusual restructuring of his contract that ended a contractual standoff and rumors about his job status. Gundy has been the head coach of the Cowboys since 2005.

Oklahoma State is coming off a 3-9 record this season, including 0-9 in the Big12 conference. The Cowboys gave up an average of 40.1 points in their conference games, including a combined 108 points in their last two outings.

Oklahom State held only one Big-12 opponent under 38 points this season. This was after a 10-4 record last year brought elevated expectations coming into this year's campaign.

Todd Grantham is no stranger to the collegiate coaching ranks. Prior to joining the Saints, he was a defensive analyst on the Alabama staff in 2022 and defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators from 2018 to 2021.

New Orleans Saints defensive assistant Todd Grantham (right) during a team practice / NOLA.COM

Grantham has also had success as the defensive coordinator for Georgia (2010-2013) and has served as a defensive assistant at Mississippi State, Louisville, Michigan State, and Virginia Tech over a 34-year coaching career.

Since his coaching career began in 1990, Grantham has also been an NFL defensive assistant for Indianapolis, Houston, Cleveland, and Dallas before joining New Orleans. He was a defensive line coach at most of those stops except Cleveland, where he was the defensive coordinator from 2005 to 2007.

Grantham was hired by Dennis Allen to replace Ryan Nielsen as the defensive line coach two seasons ago. The Saints ranked 13th in total defense but 22nd against the run last season. This year, New Orleans is 30th in total defense and 26th against the run with a 5-8 record after 13 games.

Dennis Allen was fired by New Orleans after Week 9. Interim coach Darren Rizzi shuffled some of the coaching responsibilities after taking over. Included in those moves was Grantham reportedly taking more of a advisory role instead of day-to-day operations of the defensive line.