New Orleans Saints Coaching History—Dick Stanfel (1980)

For the third time in franchise history, John Mecom grew impatient with the lack of success of his football team in the middle of a season in 1980.

As a result, Mecom opted to fire his head coach and appoint an Interim head coach.

In 1980, it was Dick Nolan who got the axe after the Saints lost their first 12 games.

Dick Stanfel, who was the team’s offensive line coach, was promoted to head coach in week 13.

Stanfel was a great NFL player, a 5-time All-Pro who would eventually earn induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Stanfel inherited a hornet’s nest in New Orleans in 1980.

Not only were the Saints winless, they had traded away troubled Chuck Muncie and the team had a terrible drug problem, among other personal issues.

At the team’s first practice, Stanfel had to watch as players got into a brawl—with each other.

It was ugly, a clear indication of the season as a whole.

The Saints played better under Stanfel but the results were the same, a pair of 3-point losses to Minnesota and San Francisco.

The latter came at Candlestick Park in a game that the Saints led 35-7 at the half and somehow found a way to lose, despite 377 yards passing and three touchdown passes from Archie Manning.

New Orleans averted the ultimate embarrassment of a winless season by squeaking out a 21-20 victory over the Jets on a windy day at Shea Stadium on Dec. 14.

Tony Galbreath scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to get the Saints over the hump. Tommy Myers and James Marshall each had an interception of future Saint Richard Todd.

Manning finished with career highs of 3,716 yards and 23 touchdown passes. Wes Chandler had 65 catches for 975 yards and six touchdowns. Myers, Elois Grooms and Derland Moore were solid defenders.

Two emerging players were first and second draft picks Stan Brock and Dave Waymer, each of whom would become stars and eventual Saints Hall of Fame inductees.

Stanfel was widely respected as an outstanding coach. He did his time and went to Chicago after the season ended, spending 12 years with the Bears, winning a Super Bowl.

Stanfel returned to New Orleans as offensive line coach under Mike Ditka in 1997 and 1998.

He was a really good coach who accepted a virtually impossible job late in the 1980 season in an organization full of turmoil.