First-year Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor finally hired Lou Anarumo as his defensive coordinator, but that didn’t stop the Bengals from trying to poach someone else from the New Orleans Saints coaching staff. Per Alex Marvez of Sporting News, the Bengals filed a request to interview Saints defensive assistant Mike Hodges, who assists linebackers coach Mike Nolan in New Orleans. They envision Hodges as filling that role in Cincinnati.
Hodges is the fourth Saints defensive coach connected to the Bengals this offseason. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn, and Nolan himself were each previously considered for the Bengals’ coordinator job. Allen and Nolan were each passed over, and the Saints blocked the interview request for Glenn. New Orleans has the option to deny this request for Hodges, but it’s too soon to say whether they will.
If nothing else, it’s flattering to see such attention on the Saints’ coaching staff. It must mean they’re doing things right.
