Feb 13, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson and general manager Mickey Loomis pose with the new head coach Kellen Moore at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
Finding a way to get $30 million back from former starting quarterback Derek Carr after his retirement might have been the Saints best offseason move.
Flipping nearly its entire coaching staff might be a close second.
The moves really began following the team’s week nine loss to the Carolina Panthers. Former head coach Dennis Allen was fired and the team promotedd special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi to the interim role.
But after the season, New Orleans had a decision to make. They could roll with the continuity of Rizzi, who was one of the last remaining bridges from the Sean Payton era, or change its course entirely in an attempt to bring about a new era of Saints football. The team chose the latter and went on a near immediate pursuit of now-head coach Kellen Moore.
Moore then retained only a few major assistant coaching staff members including wide receivers coach Keith Williams. He also handed out promotions to special teams coordinator Phil Galiano, assistant offensive line coach Jahri Evans and assistant defensive line coach Bryan Young.
Otherwise, most of the coaching staff was flipped.
That has brought about a noticeable change in culture and philosophy across the team.
The Saints are likely in a multi-year rebuild, so whether or not the changes immediately result in success won’t be the barometer for the impact of the decisions. But a measure of improvement in process, consistency and efficiency should give the team a sense of forward momentum, which will prove a welcome trajectory following such wide swath decisions.
