The Saints are hiring former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as their subsequent defensive coordinator, per Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Staley has been a top candidate for the Saints’ DC gig ever since Kellen Moore was hired as head coach. Moore was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator in 2023, Staley’s last season as head coach. Staley was fired before the end of the regular season and spent 2024 as an assistant head coach with the 49ers. He interviewed with the Saints last weekend and emerged as the favourite for the job, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
2025 will probably be Staley’s ninth season teaching within the NFL. He started his profession on the school stage earlier than shifting to the professionals as an out of doors linebackers coach below Vic Fangio in Chicago (2017-2018) and Denver (2019). Staley was then employed by the Rams in 2020 as defensive coordinator. His protection completed first in whole factors and yards allowed, which helped him land the Chargers’ head teaching gig after only one yr as a coordinator.
Staley led the Chargers to a 9-8 document in his debut season with a top-five offense below second-year quarterback Justin Herbert. A ten-7 document in 2022 was sufficient for a playoff berth as a wild card, although the Chargers misplaced to the Jaguars within the first spherical. 2023 noticed important regression on either side of the ball, resulting in Staley’s firing after a 5-9 begin. The Chargers’ defensive struggles have been notably regarding throughout his tenure; the group by no means completed greater than twentieth in factors or yards allowed throughout his three seasons.
Staley’s historical past with Fangio probably helped him land the job in New Orleans. Fangio is the Eagles’ defensive coordinator and labored with Moore in Philadelphia final season. The 2 led elite items on both facet of the ball to a 14-3 document within the common season and a victory in Super Bowl LIX. Staley will probably set up a scheme just like Fangio’s in New Orleans to show round a Saints protection that allowed the third-most yards within the NFL in 2024.
The Saints might face criticism for his or her hiring course of. Their different two candidates, Daronte Jones and Christian Parker, are minorities. Given Staley’s early standing as a frontrunner for the job, the Saints’ meetings with Jones and Parker might be seen as sham interviews solely carried out so the group might adjust to the NFL’s Rooney Rule.
New Orleans additionally thought of some school coaches for his or her defensive coordinator emptiness, together with Colorado DC Robert Livingston, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Here’s a remaining replace on their search:
