Well that’s interesting. The Lewiston Tribune’s Stephan Wiebe reports that the Idaho Vandals interviewed New Orleans Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas for their head coach opening, along with nearly a dozen other candidates. Why the attention on Thomas?
It’s because he’s one of the Vandals’ most popular graduates. Thomas still holds the school records for rushing yards (3,929) and touchdown runs (51), and previously worked as their co-offensive coordinator back in 2004. A return to his alma mater has to be appealing for the 47-year-old, who would be replacing longtime head coach Paul Petrino.
Still, it’s early in the process, and there appears to be a wide range of candidates for the job. Other reports suggest Thomas isn’t even the leading candidate at this stage, but speculation is rampant as the national coaching carousel spins.
It would be great to see Thomas get this opportunity but at the same time you’ve got to wonder how much more turnover Sean Payton’s coaching staff can take; New Orleans lost four position coaches this offseason and could use the continuity Thomas offers, having held his post since 2015. It would be surprising to see him leave during the season, but stranger things have happened. If he does go let’s hope it turns out better for him than it did Joe Brady.
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