The Saint are promoting Phil Galiano to serve as special teams coordinator on Kellen Moore‘s new staff, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Galiano joined the Saints in 2019 as an assistant special teams coach under coordinator Darren Rizzi. After Rizzi left New Orleans to reunite with Sean Payton in Denver, Galiano became the obvious candidate to take over the Saints’ special teams operations. He has an extensive history with Rizzi, so the Saints will maintain some continuity on special teams heading into 2025.
Galiano has 25 years of coaching experience across the college and pro ranks. He served in a variety of roles at the college level, including a three-year stretch as FIU’s defensive coordinator and three different stints at Rutgers, where he coached several different position groups and even spent a year as the director of recruiting in 2015.
In the NFL, however, Galiano has focused on special teams. He was the Buccaneers’ assistant special teams coach in 2012 and 2013 and a special teams intern with the Dolphins in 2016. Galiano spent the next two years at Penn State, first as a defensive consultant in 2017, then as a special teams coach and assistant defensive line coach in 2018.
Rizzi then recruited Galiano to join him in New Orleans after the two overlapped on coaching staffs at Rutgers and in Miami. Rizzi was Rutgers’ special teams coordinator from 2002 to 2007 while Galiano was a defensive assistant. They worked closely together in Miami, where Galiano was an intern on Rizzi’s special teams staff.
Moore has now filled two of his three coordinator spots in addition to a variety of assistant roles. The Saints are still deciding on their next defensive coordinator, with ex-Chargers head coach Brandon Staley considered a favorite for the job.