Report: New Orleans Saints Have Name to Watch at Quarterbacks Coach After Ronald Curry's Departure
NEW ORLEANS -- Well that was not the the name anyone expected. After the departure of Ronald Curry to the Buffalo Bills, the New Orleans Saints have vacancies at the quarterbacks coaching spot and at passing game coordinator. It seems, per reports, that they already have their target at one of those positions.
Per ESPN"s Jeremy Fowler, the Saints are expected to hire former Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko to hold the same role in New Orleans. Janocko has experience working with soon-to-be-named Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak. The two worked together in the same capacity with the Vikings in 2021.
Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko on the sidelines.
(EDITORS NOTE: caption correction) Oct 17, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
During that season, quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 66.3% of his passes for 4,221 yards. He also had a touchdown to interception count of 33 and 7. Cousins and Saints quarterback Derek Carr are similar styles of passer, though Carr has more athleticism and looks to process the field faster.
The most impressive part of Kubiak and Janocko's work with Cousins came down to the high volume of passes (561) compared to the low interception total (7) and touchdown total (33). While Cousins threw the fourth-most passes of his career that season, he threw the second-fewest interceptions of his career in a season wherein he started at least 15 games. He also threw for his lowest career interception percentage and second-highest full-season touchdown percentage.
Taking care of the ball and putting points on the board are the foundational keys to success for any offense. Translating the success the pair had with Cousins in those areas to the work they are set to do with Carr would be a win.
The Saints quarterbacks coach position was vacated with the departure of Ronald Curry to the Buffalo Bills. In the process, so too was the passing game coordinator role. It will be interesting to see if the Saints look to maintain that position for their 2024 staff. There is also a potential to add an assistant quarterbacks coach hire down the road with Klint Kubiak's younger brother Klay Kubiak holding that responsibility in San Francisco.
Janocko's work with Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields led to his dismissal along with former offensive coordinator, who also interviewed for the Saints' position, Luke Getsy. But perhaps working with a more traditional pocket passer is a better environment for Janocko's strengths. He also has experience coaching wide receivers and offensive lines.
This hire, much like the expected top candidate for the offensive line coach position, helps to add positive outlook to the Kubiak hire. The Saints cannot make their new offensive coordinator hire official until after the Super Bowl. This news helps to alleviate concerns of a potential walk-back on the highly-anticipated agreement.
The hires around Kubiak will be just as important as the move to hire him in the first place. The Saints have established through their coaching transactions thus far that they are prioritizing putting those familiar with Kubiak around him. A smart move as they look to revamp their offensive identity.
