Report: Saints hire Brendan Nugent as offensive line coach

By Ross Jackson

A reunion of numerous levels, the New Orleans Saints have hired their next offensive line coach.

New Saints head coach Kellen Moore is bringing back a familiar face, in more ways than one. Per NewOrlenas.Football’s Nick Underhill and Mike Triplett, the Saints and Moore are hiring Brenden Nugent to coach the offensive line.

Nugent worked with the Saints’ offensive line from 2005 through 2021, making this a return to the Big Easy for the veteran coach. Nugent also reunites with Moore after the two coached together with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023. Nugent led the Chargers’ protection unit while Moore was the offensive coordinator.

Nugent and Moore’s 2023 Chargers team ranked No. 16 in quarterback pressure percentage allowed with 36.6%, per Next Gen Stats. Under Nugent, the Saints’ offense was consistently one of the least pressure and least sacked teams in the league up until 2021, the year after former quarterback Drew Brees retired. In 2018 and 2019, New Orleans was the third least pressured offense in the NFL.

The offensive line for New Orleans will be important with Moore’s scheme, especially if he carries over the run-heavy approaches he displayed in Philadelphia and Dallas. 

With Nugent, the Saints’ offense put together multiple successful years in the run game, particularly after the 2017 acquisition of running back Alvin Kamara. 

Pro Football Focus ranks offensive lines each week throughout the season. Nugent’s offensive lines in New Orleans consistently found its way near the top of the list. The team’s lines ranked within the top-10 five times: 2015 (No. 3), 2017 (No.9), 2018 (No.8), 2019 (No. 5) and 2020 (No. 8). The two seasons that the unit was outside of the top ten included a No. 11 ranking in 2016 and a No. 18 finish in 2021, his first year as offensive line coach after assisting beforehand..

Nugent now returns to New Orleans and reunites with Moore in the hopes of recreating those successful years.