It's official. Sean Payton has officially stepped down as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints after 15 seasons at the helm. There's no time to grieve for the Saints, though, and looking for a replacement coach has become the top priority for the franchise at this point in their offseason. As it turns out, two candidates have already emerged as the frontrunners to take over Payton's recently vacated post.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and Aaron Glenn of the Detroit Lions are currently leading the race for the head coaching job in New Orleans:

Allen joined the Saints as a defensive assistant back in 2015. He was later promoted as the squad's defensive coordinator when Rob Ryan was fired that same year. Prior to joining New Orleans, Allen also had stints with the Oakland Raiders, the Denver Broncos, and the Atlanta Falcons. He also served as a defensive line coach and a secondary coach with the Saints between 2006 and 2010.

Aaron Glenn, on the other hand, currently holds the position of defensive coordinator for the Lions. Glenn, a three-time Pro Bowler who spent the majority of his career with the New York Jets, has been the DC for the Lions since January of 2021. As a coach/scout, the 49-year-old has worked for the Cleveland Browns, the Jets, as well as the Saints as a secondary coach between 2016 and 2021.