BREAKING: Reggie Bush endorses former New Orleans teammate to become next Saints coach after Mickey Loomis backing

BREAKING: Reggie Bush endorses former New Orleans teammate to become next Saints coach after Mickey Loomis backing

A former New Orleans Saints star running back has publicly endorsed his choice to be the franchise’s next head coach.

In an interview with DJ Siddiqi of Sports Lens, Reggie Bush said he thinks Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is the favorite to land the position as the next lead man in the Big Easy.

The Saints conducted a virtual interview with Glenn, as Matthew Paras reported, on Friday.

Bush, who played with Glenn on the Saints in 2008, applauded his ability to help coach the Lions to a 15-2 regular season record despite losing its best player, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, to a season-ending injury in Week 6.

“You’re seeing how much he’s changed this defense this year,” Bush told Siddiqi. “Even with the injuries that they’ve had, they’re still playing at a high level. I think it’s the ultimate testament for a coach, whether you’re a good coach or not.”

Detroit ranked seventh in points allowed this past season.

“You find the real coaching starts when you lose good players, and they lost one of their best players on the defensive end in Aidan Hutchinson,” Bush said. “I think he showed that he’s capable and also he’s a guy that will command respect in the locker room as well. Those guys will know that he’s not only a coach, but he’s a guy who played too.”

Glenn played for 15 seasons and made three Pro Bowls, ending his career in 2008 with New Orleans. He then returned to the franchise from 2016-20 as a defensive backs coach.

Reggie Bush went 88 yards vs. Bears in 2006 NFC championship game
It wasn;t a great overall day for the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 21, 2007, but it marked the first time the team ever played in a conference championship game.

The lone highlight in the game for New Orleans came as Reggie Bush took a Drew Brees screen pass and went 88 yards for a touchdown at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Playing through injuries is a reality the Saints faced in 2024, with starters like quarterback Derek Carr, running back Alvin Kamara, wide receiver Chris Olave and special teams specialist Rashid Shaheed missing extended periods of time. Injuries peaked during the Saints’ seven-game losing streak that led to the firing of coach Dennis Allen in November. It was the franchise’s longest losing streak in 25 years.

Bringing back winning
The Saints have struggled to find a way back to putting a competitive team on the field since quarterback Drew Brees retired in 2021 and coach Sean Payton resigned a year later.

For a franchise searching to return to its winning ways of the previous regime, Bush also referred to the 2009 Saints Super Bowl team when advocating for the hiring of Glenn.

“Our defense was scoring touchdowns like every week,” Bush said of the 2009 Saints. “I think what A.G. brings to the table is exactly what New Orleans needs. We got to get our defense back to this, that attacking style of play.”

The Saints’ No. 2 overall pick in 2006 and former Heisman Trophy winner said an attacking defense is always the DNA of a championship team, which he believes is Glenn’s coaching style.

Whoever is the Saints’ next head coach needs to understand New Orleans’ unique culture as well, according to Bush.

“When you coach in New Orleans, you need to understand the culture down there,” he said. “It’s not just about coaching the football team, but people eat, sleep and breathe the Saints in New Orleans. It’s a football-first city. They need somebody who is going to be able to lead not only the team, but the city as well in the way that Sean Payton did.”

Coached by Payton, Bush won a Super Bowl in 2010 and was named an All-Pro returner in 2008. Bush was a Saint from 2006-10 before he got traded to the Dolphins in 2011. He now works in sports broadcasting, where his stops have included Fox Sports as a college football analyst in recent years