Wesley McGriff is leaving his post as the Saints’ secondary coach to become the defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt, according to footballscoop.com.
Before winning 23-20 in their season finale at Tampa Bay (2-14), the Saints (7-9) had a No. 29 ranking in pass defense, having allowed 261.5 yards per game in 2014.
The Saints were 28th out of 32 in the NFL in interception rate.
McGriff arrived in 2013, the same year defensive coordinator Rob Ryan did. The Saints’ defense permitted the fourth-fewest yards and points last year, but they regressed considerably this season.
McGriff coached at Vanderbilt in 2011 and Ole Miss in 2012. Vanderbilt recently fired defensive coordinator David Kotulski.
The Saints didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. If McGriff is gone, it’s inevitable people will speculate he could be replaced by Dennis Allen, the former Raiders head coach who oversaw the Saints’ secondary when they won Super Bowl XLIV.