Saints Rumors: Lions DC Aaron Glenn to Interview for HC Job to Replace Sean Payton

The New Orleans Saints are reportedly scheduled to interview Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn about their head coaching vacancy.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Saturday the interview is set to happen at next week's Senior Bowl as the Saints begin to ramp up their efforts to find a replacement for Sean Payton, who stepped down Tuesday.

Glenn, a former NFL cornerback, played for the Saints in 2008. He returned to New Orleans as a defensive backs coach from 2016 through 2020.

The 49-year-old Texas native was a standout corner selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 1994 draft after being voted an All-American his final season at Texas A&M.

Glenn earned three Pro Bowl selections, two with the Jets and one with the Houston Texans, during a 15-year playing career that ended after his season with the Saints. He's filled several roles since hanging up his cleats.

He spent a short time as a general manager for the Houston Stallions, an indoor team in the Lone Star Football League, before returning to the NFL as a scout for the New York Jets in 2012.

Glenn shifted to coaching in 2014 as a member of the Cleveland Browns staff. That was followed by his stint as the Saints DBs coach before he took a coordinator job for the first time in Detroit.

The Lions finished 29th in total defense in 2021. While they still ranked near the bottom of the league, they gave up 40 fewer yards per game (379.8 compared to 419.8) than in 2020, when they rated last in the NFL in that category.

After Detroit's season ended, he left the door open to exploring head coaching opportunities but said his focus remained on his current role.

"If it happens, those things happen, man," Glenn told reporters. "But listen, this is a job that I have right now, and I want to be the best I can be at it. And I want to be the best that ever came through Detroit. I want you guys to say that at some point, that he was the best coordinator ever. That's what my goal is."

Other candidates identified by the Saints include their own defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen, former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

New Orleans is getting a later start to the search than other teams in the market for a new head coach, but with only three hires confirmed so far, there are still plenty of options as five other organizations look to fill the void as well.