Kellen Moore has been hired as the new head coach of the New Orleans Saints, the team announced on Tuesday.
Moore, 36, takes over a Saints team that finished 5-12 last season and ended up in last place of the NFC South. Head coach Dennis Allen was fired after nine games and his replacement, Darren Rizzi, went 3-5 on an interim basis.
"At the start of the interview process, it was important to find a head coach who was the right fit for the New Orleans Saints organization," said Owner Gayle Benson. "Through the search process, it became clear that Kellen is the right person to help us re-establish a winning program and culture that our fans are accustomed to and have come to expect. I would also like to thank Darren Rizzi for his service as interim coach and leading our team this past season. I am truly grateful to him."
As his last act as offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, Moore helped them to victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.
Following a six-season NFL playing career with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, Moore entered the coaching ranks beginning as quarterbacks coach and then taking over as offensive coordinator with the Cowboys from 2019-2022. After parting ways with Dallas, he took over running the Los Angeles Chargers' offense as part of Brandon Staley's staff, but was there only one season before being hired by the Philadelphia Eagles in the same position.
The Saints were the last NFL team remaining with a head coaching vacancy. General manager Mickey Loomis cast a wide net in a search for a new head coach. He spoke with Rizzi, Moore, Aaron Glenn, Joe Brady and Anthony Weaver, among others. Mike McCarthy was also a candidate, but he reportedly pulled himself out of the running and will reenter the coaching market for 2026.
The Saints have not made the playoffs since 2020, the end of their four-year run as NFC South champions.
Moore will have to wrestle with uncertainty at quarterback with veteran Derek Carr and a league-worst salary cap projection that, according to Spotrac.com, is at over $51 million.
In an analysis of Moore's candidacy for the Cowboys' head coaching job, which eventually went to Brian Schottenheimer, chof360 Sports' Jori Epstein wrote last month:
At least nine teams spanning six of the league’s eight divisions have sought interviews with Moore since he ascended to the coordinator level, per those team’s social media posts at the time and more recent reports.
The perception he left in interviews?
“Super impressive,” one executive who interviewed Moore for a previous opening told chof360 Sports. “We all left saying he’s going to be a head coach some day. Unbelievably smart and was just very organized with his thoughts.”
Moore’s résumé has continued to trend toward promotion, his experience growing as he approaches his 36th birthday. Schematically, the son of a longtime high school coach, who was creating playbooks as a child, strikes people as ready to navigate the head coach role’s balance of game management and play-calling responsibilities.
Interpersonally, the executive who interviewed Moore praised how easy he was to talk to and how he made a point to stay in touch with team brass after their initial meetings. Moore is approachable and has received praise from players for his receptiveness to their ideas and creative wrinkles.
Brandon Staley, who was an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers last season, is a candidate to be the Saints' offensive coordinator, according to Schefter. Staley ran the Los Angeles Rams' defense during the 2020 season before he took over as Los Angeles Chargers head coach through 2023.
