The New Orleans Saints are the last team with an opening for a head coach.
Nonetheless, they’re expected to hire Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after the Super Bowl.
Now, Moore will have to think about his coaching staff.
With that in mind, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that he could turn to a familiar face to be his defensive coordinator.
Apparently, San Francisco 49ers defensive assistant Brandon Staley might be a realistic possibility:
“Two names I’ve heard as possibilities at defensive coordinator are 49ers assistant coach Brandon Staley and Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards. Both have history with Moore — Staley hired Moore as his offensive coordinator with the Chargers in 2023, and Moore overlapped with Edwards in Dallas,” Fowler said.
Notably, Moore worked under Staley in his lone season with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Of course, the pairing wasn’t necessarily successful and was short-lived, but perhaps a change in the workplace dynamic, with Moore now being in charge, might lead to better results.
Staley is highly respected throughout the league as an assistant coach, and his experience as a former head coach could be very beneficial for a first-timer like Moore.
He didn’t perform his best as a head coach, and he was frequently criticized for his excessively aggressive style.
Still, he might be the most qualified guy for the job at this point in the offseason.
The Saints have a myriad of situations to address right now.
Derek Carr’s future with the organization – or the lack thereof – is clearly one of the most critical aspects they need to consider, but it’s far from the only one.
It might take a while before this team gets back to contention.
Despite years of underperformance, they were very patient with Dennis Allen, so perhaps they will take the same approach with whoever they hire next.
