Kellen Moore has a chance to build something special.
After becoming the youngest head coach in the NFL, Moore is tasked with restoring the New Orleans Saints to former glory. However, that's not going to happen overnight.
Moore is going to need tremendous support and leadership to help him throughout this process, and his decisions on hiring the coaching staff will be critical for how quickly the direction goes for the Saints.
Here's a look at the present state of coaching in New Orleans, including some recent news. There's also some names to remember throughout the process.
Hiring A Saints Coaching Staff
Prior to Moore taking over, the main offensive leftovers on New Orleans were Keith Williams (wide receivers), Clancy Barone (tight ends) and Jahri Evans (offensive assistant) on offense. Offensive assistants Mike Martinez, Kevin Petry and Jordan Traylor are also on the current staff.
Kellen Moore is keeping Williams, which is a very smart move for the receiver room, and made his first hire in Brendan Nugent. Nugent was with the Saints from 2015-2021 and was also with Moore in Los Angeles as his offensive line coach.
On defense, it's pretty bare. Brian Young (pass rush specialist/defensive line), Peter Giunta (Senior defensive assistant) and assistants Matt Giordano and Adam Gristick are the others. Darren Rizzi is expected to join the Broncos, while Phil Galiano could be up for a promotion on special teams.
Players responded well to Brian Young after Todd Grantham left, and it seems like he should have been the guy to begin with. That's someone I'd look at keeping along with Clancy Barone, Jahri Evans and Phil Galiano.
There's plenty of rumors on who Kellen Moore might bring over to the Saints to help fill out his coaching staff. Brandon Staley is the hottest name to run the defense, while Doug Nussmeier is a big name on offense. However, that would have to be a promotion for him, as Nick Sirianni isn't going to let anyone leave Philly on a lateral move. Tampa's George Edwards is another name to monitor.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio recently said he had a weird feeling that Jon Gruden could be a name to keep in mind for the offensive coordinator spot. He said he wasn't reporting that information, but cited some of his conversations in New Orleans from last week. Chris Simms mentioned Jason Garrett, but doesn't know how real it is. It's just a name that's been thrown out there.
The fact Gruden and Garrett were even thrown out there as a suggestion to help Moore with the transition was quite interesting, like a veteran presence. Gruden would be quite controversial, to say the least.
Kellen Moore obviously has no connections to Sean Payton, which is probably a good thing in starting completely fresh in New Orleans. That's what this coaching staff has going for it is that it's a blank canvas, and Moore could fill it out his way. At least that's what GM Mickey Loomis said the new coach was going to be able to do.
While in Dallas, Moore worked alongside some coaches who could get a look. For instance, Scott Tolzien was an offensive assistant for years, and his contract recently expired with the Cowboys. There's also rumors of Kevin Patullo, the current Eagles pass game coordinator and associate head coach, becoming the offensive coordinator.
What's particularly intriguing is how the defensive staff takes shape and if bringing on someone like Brandon Staley would prompt a shift to a 3-4 defense. Staley has worked with Jay Rodgers in the past, who just got fired from Atlanta after a one-year stint as the Falcons defensive line coach. Another Falcons name, John Timu, has ties to Staley as well and is currently a defensive assistant.
There's coaches out there, and that's what everyone has to remember. The Saints aren't totally behind here, but they also need to go from speed to execution with the NFL Combine right around the corner. We're going to find out quickly how this staff looks and what type of makeup it'll have.
