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The New Orleans Saints have officially parted ways with long-time assistant coach Dan Roushar. Roushar, who was relieved of his duties on Wednesday, was first hired by the organization in 2013.
Roushar came to New Orleans after nearly three decades coaching college programs, concluding with an offensive coordinator stint with Michigan State in 2011 and 2012. He began his tenure with the Saints as a running backs coach in 2013.
His role changed multiple times as an assistant under Sean Payton. After two seasons as the running backs coach, he was the tight ends coach for one season (2015) before moving to offensive line coach for five seasons (2016-2020). Most recently, he was the team’s run game coordinator and tight ends coach (2021-2022).
Though this was not the termination that most fans were hoping for, this move could be more interesting than what meets the eye.
Roushar was the second-longest tenured coach on the team behind Pete Carmichael (2006). Terminating assistants, especially after a lackluster season is not uncommon nor was it unexpected from the Saints, according to Nola.com columnist Jeff Duncan.
Dan Roushar is a very good coach and is well respected by his peers. What's more, he's a very good person. There's nothing to celebrate here about a good man losing his job.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) January 19, 2023
However, Roushar’s lengthy career in New Orleans proves his expertise and value on the coaching staff. Though he changed titles multiple times, he was obviously an important piece of Sean Payton and Dennis Allen’s staff. Terminating a trusted and valued assistant like Roushar points to the possibility of a larger change for the coaching staff.
It could also just mean that Loomis sees the need for fresh minds on the offensive coaching staff. In other words, Loomis might be trying to build a better support staff for Carmichael. Rumors of hiring a new OC have been very quiet, so this seems like the more likely scenario.
Nonetheless, this is Loomis' first off-season coaching move during an off-season where change is greatly needed. Though Roushar’s service and expertise will be missed, this is an encouraging sign that Loomis is attempting to make changes in the coaching staff.
Dan seemed like a good coach. But it's always hard to tell with position coaches. Juwan Johnson got better. Adam Trautman stayed the same.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) January 19, 2023
My guess is a lot of these moves on offense are simply going to come down to them wanting and needing to do something different. https://t.co/gURBuLLNJn
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