This time of year, it's hard to know what to fully believe in regard to head coaching candidates being tied to job openings. Sometimes where there's smoke there's indeed a proverbial fire, or sometimes that fire fades when the brass tacks are exposed.
Among the Detroit Lions' coaching staff, there has been plenty of stuff out there regarding offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as the new hiring cycle nears. The tea leaves appear to pointing toward Johnson and a particular job that should be open by this time Monday, while Glenn has been tied to two jobs that are currently open.
The latest insider notes piece from Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda focused on the New Orleans Saints, with a direct note about Glenn.
"And while several candidates have been connected as the Saints next head coach, leagues sources tell when all is said and done, it will be Aaron Glenn who lands the job."
Glenn spent the final season of his playing career with the Saints, and as we know he was on the coaching staff in New Orleans for five seasons before becoming Dan Campbell's defensive coordinator in Detroit. That has made it easy to tie Glenn to the head coaching job there.
Related: 4 possible candidates to replace Aaron Glenn as Lions' defensive coordinator
There's a big red flag for the Saints' job Aaron Glenn should not ignore
Pauline went on to confirm, as expected, that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis is not going anywhere despite the team's lack of recent success (not to mention the annual salary cap purgatory he oversees). With that in mind, Glenn is seen as the ideal candidate.
"Loomis doesn't want a lot of upheaval in the organization and would prefer keeping several of the existing coaches on the staff. The belief is Glenn would be open to keeping the coaches Loomis wants retained, given his relationship with the organization and general manager, which makes him a perfect fit for the job."
So Glenn is a perfect fit for the Saints' job because, driven by his history with the organization and his relationship with Loomis, he will keep the current assistant coaches the mediocre general manager wants to see kept. The same incumbent coaches, at least those who remain from back then, that have fostered "so much" success since Drew Brees retired and Sean Payton left (he says, sarcastically).
Pauline might be brushed as not being one of the typical "insiders" (Adam Schefter, Ian Rapoport, Albert Breer, etc.), and maybe his report that Glenn will be the Saints' next head coach will be shown as a step too far.
The broader sentiment Pauline captured regarding the Saints organization is absolutely not a surprise though, and it stands as a bright red flag for Glenn (or any other candidate) in regard to that head coaching job.