By Ross Jackson
NEW ORLEANS — It’s been a whirlwind of a search for the New Orleans Saints as they look to land their next head coach. Virtual interviews, in-person interviews, withdrawals from consideration and now a third meeting with their top remaining candidate, the Saints and their fans have been through the wringer.
Here is the latest on where the Saints’ head coach search stands and a little on how things led up to this point.
The Latest: A Top Candidate Remains
The Saints and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore are expected to meet for a third time after the Super Bowl. That Monday, Feb. 10 date will be the earliest the two sides can carry on their conversations per NFL rules because Moore will be coaching in the Big Game.
The expectation is that Moore is the top remaining candidate for the job. Other candidates have been told that the search will push beyond Super Bowl weekend, but that no final decisions have been made. Meanwhile, Moore has reportedly been organizing his staff should he land the job.
Per ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter (subscription required), the Eagles are bracing for the loss of Moore.
It feels likely that the third meeting between him and the Saints will end in an agreed upon deal. But of course, anything can happen.
The Remaining Candidates
It’s clear that the Eagles playcaller is the favorite in New Orleans, but he’s technically not alone in the pursuit.
Additional candidates are effectively now on hold. That includes the lone internal candidate and two external contenders.
- Interim head coach Darren Rizzi
The special teams coordinator stepped into the interim role after former coach (now Chicago Bears defensive coordinator) Dennis Allen was fired. The rare in-season coaching change in New Orleans spoke volumes, as did Rizzi’s quick and impactful decision making soon after.
Rizzi wasn’t the everyday, run-of-the-mill interim. He demoted a coach, promoted a player to captain, changed schedules and even reorganized the locker room. And those were just the things that were done publicly. Above all, he changed the level of belief the team had in itself following a rough seven-game tumble.
Players have already expressed their interest in retaining Rizzi as the full-time leader following his short but effective tenure.
Rumors are circulating that if Rizzi does not get the head coach job in New Orleans, that he will be the front-runner to reunite with Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton as the team’s special teams coordinator. Payton hired Rizzi in 2019 when he was coaching the Saints.
- Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver
Weaver has the alpha mentality many desire as a head coach. But with only one season as a defensive coordinator, he was immediately branded with “long-shot” status.
Weaver, however, showed in that one year that he can be and deserves to be a head coach soon. Miami’s defense was sorely underrated throughout the 2024 season and was impacted greatly by issues on offense. His leadership capabilities, former player resume and coaching acumen have made him more than a viable candidate even this early in his coaching career.
The swing for New Orleans from a defensive head coach to another defensive head coach has become an oddly challenging sell. It seems that the pendulum always swings from one side to the other when vacancies open up. Because of that, it is reasonable to speculate that Weaver’s consideration may not be as strong as the other candidates. But that certainly doesn’t equate to his potential impact not being as strong as the others should he be given the opportunity.
- New York Giants assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka
One of the most intriguing candidates of the cycle, Kafka brings a lot more to the table than many (this writer, included) give him credit.
His calm, cool approach may be a little too reminiscent of Allen’s for fans to be comfortable. However, his demeanor on the practice field is much different than what New Orleans had in place to start 2024.
Kafka draws his influence from Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, whose team will be competing for their third-consecutive championship with Moore’s Eagles. Not a bad tree from which to pull. However, the years in New York as an offensive play caller have been up and down. That includes having those responsibilities stripped from Kafka ahead of the 2024 year, with rumors that head coach Brian Danilo actually took on some of those duties during the previous season.
Turns out, that may not have been the best choice as the Giants offense was abysmal in 2024 and the team is now reportedly considering giving play calling duties back to Kafka. That is, unless he becomes the Saints next head coach.
Kafka spoke with LouisianaSpots.Net exclusively and provided his insight on what his offense would look like, the defense that complements it and his vision on how to build culture for an organization.
The Ones That Got Away
We all have them and the Saints are no exception. The initially compiled list of even vague interest included just ten candidates. One could argue nine since now-New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was clearly never on the table.
Of that initial list, Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn landed with the New York Jets, offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Kliff Kingsbury, of the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders respectively, remained with their teams and former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy removed himself from consideration soon after Moore’s in-person interview.
The Kingsbury withdrawal wasn’t too surprising. It’s hard to imagine that any offensive coordinator would leave a situation like what Kingsbury has in Washington. However, the losses of Glenn and Brady mid-process were optically not swell.
To have two candidates not even entertain the Saints with an in-person interview despite having connections to the franchise was a bad look for New Orleans. Missing out on Glenn and Brady in particular led to a lot of warranted criticism around whether or not candidates actually wanted what the Saints had to offer.
McCarthy’s withdrawal was interesting as an interview was apparently never on the books. The reason for the back out was said to be because McCarthy wanted to focus on the 2026 coaching cycle. But it’s hard not to imagine that it was a bit preemptive. McCarthy may have withdrawn without an interview so that he didn’t stand the chance of losing the job to his former assistant Moore. A pragmatic move for the former Cowboys coach, as that could have impacted his desirability in 2026.
Additional Staff Changes
As is often the case with changes at head coach, there are several assistant positions that are expected to open up for the Saints’ coaching staff.
On offense, the Saints have already seen offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak depart to join the Seattle Seahawks in the same role. This was the first indication that an offensive-minded, play calling head coach may be on the way.
Following Kubiak may be quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko. A rising star in the NFL, Janocko likely will not have to wait long before eventually becoming an offensive coordinator. In fact, if he made the decision to remain in New Orleans, he should be seen as a candidate for the non-play calling position, should Moore or Kafka be the hire.
His work with quarterbacks around the league have yielded some positive results. He prepared three different starters for New Orleans last year and helped starting quarterback Derek Carr to several top-ten statistical rankings.
Running backs coach Derrick Foster interviewed with the Dallas Cowboys for the same position. He did a phenomenal job with star rusher Alvin Kamara and was integral in implementing the wide zone run game. The challenges for the run in New Orleans came from the system’s lack of adjustments and counter-punch options. But that isn’t on Foster.
Finally, on defense, a new coordinator is expected on that side of the ball. While no departure has happened at the formal position with Joe Woods still holding the title, the Saints defense was architected, run and called by Allen. His departure effectively opened not only the head coach position, but also the defensive coordinator spot.
Only one departure is currently official on defense. Linebackers coach Michael Hodges is Cincinnati Bengals in another lateral move. The transition should be a positive one for Hodges, who has received more than a few defensive coordinator interviews around the league. This leap will give him a chance to raise his profile without being under Allen for the first time in the pros.
How the Saints Got Here
The most cut-and-dry part of the Saints’ pursuit thus far was the very beginning. After two and a half disappointing seasons under Allen and a fourth consecutive year without a playoff appearance, New Orleans was in need of change.
The shifts began after a Week Nine loss to the Carolina Panthers forced the shake-up. Owner Gayle Benson took a hands-on approach and was reportedly a driving factor in the firing of Allen.
Once Rizzi took over as interim, his audition began. While his changes are widely perceived as positive, the 3-5 result of his eight game coached did not make him a runaway candidate as the season concluded. Which is effectively what an interim coach needs in order to be able to shed the interim title and take on the full-time role.
That has led the Saints to taking a look at more external candidates for the job. This next hire will now be representative of the team’s future and potential. Any potential turnaround will take some time, likely a few seasons. So any head coach that is hired, with Moore being the clear front-runner at this point, will need patience from the organization and a commitment to stick with their process for multiple seasons. Flipping things around in one offseason should not be the expectation here.
This mentality shift is not only necessary, but a positive sign in the changing thought process of the organization that continuously tried to compete even when they didn’t have the appropriate pieces in place to do so. A reckoning or acceptance of where the team truly is at this point is an important step forward for the organization. Who will lead the changes and how successful they will be are results that will only come with time. But for now, that is where the Saints are and how they got to this point.
