The New Orleans Saints answered one question Thursday by naming Joe Vitt their interim coach. They created several more.
Vitt will run the team during the offseason program through training camp before stepping aside for the first six weeks of the season to serve his suspension. The Saints then will turn to their interim interim coach, to be named later. The Saints will chose that man (presumably offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo or offensive line coach Aaron Kromer) later in the offseason. He will be the third Saints "head coach" of 2012 following Sean Payton and Vitt.
Players like clear leadership. They will follow Vitt's lead for the entire offseason while knowing he won't even be there for the first six weeks of the season. They suddenly will turn their attention to a different coach as their leader in Week 1. Once they are used to following the new guy, they have to go back to Vitt. It's a muddled solution.
This creates so many odd issues. What if the players respond more to the interim interim coach than they do to Vitt?
This is only a clear win for the media. Based on his run replacing St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz in 2005, Vitt would be on the first ballot if they ever open the Interim Head Coach Press Conference Hall of Fame. Now Vitt is going to have another shot to run a team. Sort of.
The whole setup is confusing to us, and will be similarly confusing to Saints players.
