NEW ORLEANS — Kellen Moore, who guided the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense to a Super Bowl title this past season, has committed to becoming the next head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
At 36 years old, Moore steps into a franchise that has struggled since the retirement of legendary quarterback Drew Brees and the departure of Super Bowl-winning coach Sean Payton. The Saints have not participated in the playoffs since 2020, the final season of Brees’ illustrious career.
Moore’s potential as a candidate became increasingly clear to the Saints as the organization took its time this year filling its coaching vacancy, taking longer than any other team in the NFL.
He was the sole assistant coach interviewed by New Orleans from either Super Bowl team, due to league regulations that prevented hiring him until after the championship game concluded. The Saints officially confirmed their agreement with Moore on Tuesday.
This coaching move follows a trend where teams have benefited from hiring younger offensive coaches. Notable examples include Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams, Matt LaFleur with the Green Bay Packers, Miami’s Mike McDaniel, and Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings, all of whom found success in their 30s.
Moore expressed enthusiasm for the challenges ahead, stating, “I look forward to embracing the challenges ahead and am eager to get started,” in a statement released by the Saints. His formal introduction is set for Thursday.
Before transitioning to coaching, Moore was a standout quarterback at Boise State, followed by a brief six-year career as a reserve QB on practice squads with Detroit (2012-2014) and the Dallas Cowboys (2015-2017). His on-field experience saw him in just three regular-season games, all in 2015 with the Cowboys.
He began his coaching career in 2018 as a quarterbacks coach, later becoming offensive coordinator in 2019. After leaving Dallas, he joined the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 before making his way to Philadelphia in 2024.
Initially favoring a pass-heavy strategy, Moore adapted his play-calling approach while with the Eagles, capitalizing on the team’s strengths as a running unit — highlighted by a formidable offensive line, standout running back Saquon Barkley, and an agile quarterback, Jalen Hurts. Under his guidance, the Eagles claimed the NFL’s second-best rushing attack in 2024, setting a franchise record with 3,048 rushing yards. Barkley accounted for 2,005 of those yards, adding 499 more in playoff appearances.
In the Super Bowl, when the Chiefs managed to limit Barkley’s rushing to just 57 yards, Moore strategically called for timely passing plays, resulting in touchdowns from 46 yards and 12 yards to receivers DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown, respectively.
Moore inherits an offense that includes versatile running back Alvin Kamara and rising star receiver Chris Olave. During his visit to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, he emphasized the importance of tailoring play-calling to leverage the strengths of the roster.
“You have certain things that you have strong feelings about from a coaching perspective — certain philosophies — but I think it’s important to do what your players do best,” Moore remarked. He noted the diversity in styles he has embraced while transitioning from Dallas to Los Angeles and finally to Philadelphia.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr has two years remaining on his contract, yet his future remains uncertain following two consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance.
Moore will be the second head coach for the Saints since Payton briefly stepped back from his role in 2021, the season when New Orleans finished 9-8, falling just short of the playoffs. This has now marked four consecutive seasons without postseason action for the franchise.
Dennis Allen, who served as Payton’s defensive coordinator, took over in 2021 but compiled an 18-25 record in his first 2.5 seasons which led to his dismissal following a series of seven consecutive losses.
Darren Rizzi, who had been the special teams coordinator under both Payton and Allen, took over on an interim basis and finished with a 3-5 record. He expressed the desire to remain with the Saints and interviewed for the permanent position following this past season.
The team also spoke with several other candidates, including Miami Dolphins coordinator Anthony Weaver, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, and Detroit’s Aaron Glenn, along with Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Former coaches Mike McCarthy, who had stints with Dallas and Green Bay, had been expected to interview but withdrew his name shortly after Joe Brady did the same.
Meanwhile, the Eagles have experienced significant turnover in their coaching staff after reaching the Super Bowl, with defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon moving to the Arizona Cardinals and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen heading to the Indianapolis Colts, both after the 2022 season.
