NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints have named Joe Vitt as interim coach, despite the top assistant's six-game suspension for his role in the club's bounty system.
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The Saints had to find a one-season replacement for head coach Sean Payton, whose season-long suspension in connection with the bounty scandal begins Monday and runs through the next February's Super Bowl.
Saints offensive line coach Aaron Kromer is expected to become New Orleans' other interim head coach this season during the first six games, while Vitt serves his suspension, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Vitt, who carries the titles of assistant head coach and linebackers coach, briefly stepped in as interim head coach last season when Payton broke his leg. Vitt also was interim coach with St. Louis in 2005 before joining Payton in his first season with New Orleans in 2006.
Vitt will be able to oversee the offseason training program and training camp, before stepping aside for the first third of the regular season.
"It is important that we keep Sean Payton's philosophy front and center during this season. Sean has been the driving force behind the tremendous success our team has enjoyed during the past six years, his leadership will be missed," Loomis said in a statement. "But we need to set a course of action that gives us the best chance to win this season without our head coach, and that is why I am announcing today that Joe Vitt will assume Sean's duties.
"We considered a number of great options to handle Payton's duties both internally and externally, but believe this will provide the most seamless transition for our players and our coaching staff, allowing our offensive and defensive staffs to remain intact with the fewest changes. This is the same structure we used last season during Sean's knee injury."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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