Alvin Kamara Reveals Who He Wants As Saints Head Coach
Yesterday at 02:02 PM
New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara announced his head coaching endorsement.
The Saints suffered their most losses in 19 years when going 5-12 in 2024. They fired Dennis Allen amid a seven-game losing streak and went 3-5 under interim head coach Darren Rizzi.
Kamara seemingly wants Rizzi to receive the position permanently. On Tuesday, he wrote that his choice for head coach "rhymes wit[h] Fizzi."
A member of the Saints staff since 2019, Rizzi started as a special teams coordinator before getting promoted to assistant head coach in 2022. The New Jersey native previously went 18-23 as a college head coach at New Haven and Rhode Island.
The Saints interviewed Rizzi for their head coaching position on Friday. They've also interviewed offensive coordinators Joe Brady (Bills), Mike Kafka, and Kellen Moore (Eagles).
They plan to meet with defensive coordinators Aaron Glenn (Lions) and Anthony Weaver (Dolphins this week) and are seeking an interview with former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. A New Orleans winter storm caused the organization to push back in-person interviews with Kafka and Weaver to the weekend.
Rizzi is also pursuing other opportunities. The 54-year-old interviewed for the New York Jets' head coaching job on Jan. 11.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson is "heavily pursuing" Rizzi as his special teams coach.
"He has interest from over a half-dozen teams," Schefter wrote, "but if Rizzi doesn't land a head coaching job, Chicago is his potential landing spot."
The Saints won Rizzi's first two games as interim head coach, but they scored 76 points over their final six contests. Kamara suffered a groin injury late in the season, but the five-time Pro Bowler amassed 466 yards on 100 touches in five games under Rizzi.
Related: Winter Storm Affecting NFL Team's Head Coaching Search
