New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton announced the promotion of Michael Hodges from assistant linebackers coach to linebackers coach.

Hodges played linebacker at Texas A&M from 2008-11 and is an eight-year coaching veteran, having spent the last three seasons with the Saints, 2017-18 as a defensive assistant and 2019 as assistant linebackers coach. During this period, he helped Mike Nolan, who served as linebackers coach from 2017-19 and recently was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as defensive coordinator, with the position group. During the past three seasons, the Saints linebackers contributed to the continual improvement of the Saints defense, including finishing ranked in the top five in the NFL in opponent rushing yards per game for the past two seasons.

Prior to his stint in New Orleans, Hodges coached three seasons (2014-16) at Eastern Illinois, tutoring the team's linebackers his first two campaigns, while serving as co-defensive coordinator and coaching the team's safeties his final season in Charleston. The San Antonio, Texas native started his coaching career as a defensive graduate assistant at Fresno State from 2012-13, where he coached the inside linebackers.

During his college playing career at Texas A&M, Hodges earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior in 2011 when he led the Aggies in tackles and honorable mention as a junior after beginning his career as a walk on. He was a two-time Academic All-Big 12 selection and was named a first-team Academic All-American in 2010. He graduated in 2010 and earned his master's degree in 2011.