Although the New Orleans Saints are well into the 2012 preseason, the dominos continue to fall over the alleged bounty scandal. The Saints are preparing for the upcoming suspensions of Will Smith and Joe Vitt. In a move that surprised no one, New Orleans announced that Aaron Kromer would serve as head coach during Vitt's suspension.
Aaron Kromer
Early in this process, many Saints fans wanted Pete Carmichael to serve as head coach. However, I wasn't impressed with his lack of experience. I wanted Steve Spagnuolo to be choice because he used to be the St. Louis Rams' head coach. But choosing Aaron Kromer will allow Carmichael and Spagnuolo to focus on play-calling duties.
As the offensive line coach, Aaron Kromer is not as heavily involved with game planning as the coordinators. This will allow Kromer to handle New Orleans media obligations, press conferences and other time consuming activities that head coaches must fulfill.
Although many Saints fans may not be familiar with Aaron Kromer, he has served as a coach in New Orleans since 2008. In his first year on the staff, Kromer coached the running backs. So he should have a good understanding of the Saints' offense and a strong rapport with Drew Brees.
Looking ahead at the games Aaron Kromer will serve as Saints head coach, the Green Bay Packers should offer the stiffest competition. But looking past teams like the Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers could prove disastrous. I will be curious to see how well Aaron Kromer gets New Orleans ready to play as head coach.
Of course, if the leaders step up in New Orleans and the players have a chip on their shoulders, it shouldn't matter who serves as head coach. If Drew Brees keeps the Saints' offense rolling and there is any improvement on defense, then Aaron Kromer's head coaching skills on the sidelines shouldn't even be an issue.
Hopefully Aaron Kromer will hand over a 6-0 Saints team to Joe Vitt who in turn will give permanent head coach Sean Payton a Super Bowl title to defend in 2013. Just witnessing Roger Goodell enduring that scenario in New Orleans would be a dream come true.
Patrick Michael lives in New Orleans and has always been a big fan of the New Orleans Saints. Patrick's favorite Saints season was 2009 when New Orleans won Super Bowl 44. Follow Patrick Michael on Twitter at patmichael84.
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