A coaching decision can have ripple effects around the NFL but rarely does it transcend the collegiate ranks.
That happened on Friday, though. According to college football insider Chris Low of ESPN, Todd Grantham has decided to return to the NFL as an assistant with the New Orleans Saints. Grantham recently served as an analyst with Alabama and was a candidate for the DC opening. He interviewed for the position, created after Pete Golding departed to Ole Miss.
Todd Grantham, who interviewed for the @AlabamaFTBL DC job, has decided to return to the NFL as an assistant with the New Orleans Saints, sources tell ESPN. Grantham was an analyst at Bama last season. He worked in the NFL for 11 seasons and was DC at three different SEC schools.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) February 3, 2023
Prior to that, Grantham spent over a decade in the NFL (1999-2009), where he served as the defensive line coach for the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, while also spending time as the Cleveland Browns DC. From 2010-21, Grantham was the defensive coordinator at three different SEC programs — Georgia (2010-13), Mississippi State (2017), and Florida (2018-21), while also spending 2014-2016 as Louisville’s DC.
The news that Grantham is returning to the NFL came just a couple of days after the Saints made a curious move. New Orleans parted ways with co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Kris Richard, while the organization’s other co-DC, Ryan Nielsen, recently took the DC job in Atlanta with the Falcons.
The #Saints parted ways with co-defensive coordinator/secondary Kris Richard, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
New Orleans' other co-DC, Ryan Nielsen, recently took the DC job in Atlanta. Significant changes on D.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 1, 2023
No word yet on Grantham’s expected role.
