Saints Head Coach Updates: New Orleans Completes In-Person Interview With Mike Kafka

The Saints have completed their third in-person interview for their open head coach position.
New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka on the field for voluntary minicamp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.

Nfl Ny Giants Coach And Gm Talk Nfl Draft
New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka on the field for voluntary minicamp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. Nfl Ny Giants Coach And Gm Talk Nfl Draft / Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Saints have completed another in-person head coach interview, this time wrapping up one with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. New Orleans is also compliant with the Rooney Rule now.

Kafka is the third in-person interview the Saints have conducted, with Anthony Weaver going on Friday and Darren Rizzi over a week ago.

New Orleans can obviously take a little bit of time to find their next coach now that they're the last team standing to fill a vacancy. The Raiders, Jaguars and Cowboys all moved on their openings within the last couple of days, and now the Saints have their pick out of several candidates.

Mike McCarthy is probably the leader of the pack here given the familiarity and ties with Mickey Loomis (2000-2004), but there's intrigue with candidates like Joe Brady and Kliff Kingsbury. McCarthy makes a lot of sense given his offensive style of very similar to what New Orleans ran under Klint Kubiak, having some West Coast staples to it.

Whoever the Saints get as their next head coach will have control over the existing staff, who are employed until New Orleans hires someone and they make the determination.


ICYMI: Can The Saints 'Get It Right' And Nail Their Head Coach Hire?

Mickey Loomis has an opportunity to get things right, but will they
Mar 11, 2023; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis looks on at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

"We've gotten it right before," New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis told a reporter in his year-end media session. To bring clarity, that was nearly two decades ago when the franchise hired a confident and youthful Sean Payton. Indeed, he did not refer to Dennis Allen, although he stated, "I don't regret" his hiring.

Saints fans don't want regrets, either. Most are watching as the front offices of the Patriots, Bears, Jets, Jaguars, Raiders, and Cowboys were decisive in terms of hiring a new head coach.

Tonight, New Orleans is the last franchise standing without a new head coach.

Mike Vrabel. Ben Johnson. Aaron Glenn. Liam Coen. Pete Carroll and Brian Schottenheimer went through a battery of interviews, and respective team executives were decisive in their hiring.

The Saints may be closing in on a historic hire. Anthony Weaver completed his in-person interview, with Mike Kafka and Mike McCarthy closing the final rounds. Also, could fan-favorite Joe Brady be available after the Bills clash with the Chiefs in the AFC Championship? Don't forget Kellen Moore.

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John Hendrix
JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net