The 61-year-old Linehan has 35 years of coaching experience, including several stints as offensive coordinator at top college programs (Washington, Louisville) and several NFL teams (Vikings, Dolphins, Rams, Cowboys). He also served as the Rams’ head coach from 2006-2008. The team compiled an 11-25 record before Linehan was fired due to an 0-4 start to the 2008 season.
Linehan has spent the last five years coaching at the college level. He was LSU’s passing game coordinator in 2020 before taking offensive analyst positions at Missouri (2021-2023) and Montana (2024). Now, he’s set to join Moore’s staff, likely in a role under offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.
Linehan has plenty of familiarity with his new colleagues. He was the Lions’ offensive coordinator when they signed Moore as an undrafted rookie quarterback in 2012. Linehan recognized Moore’s potential as a coach and began mentoring him in Detroit, per Nick Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. Linehan then brought Moore with him to Dallas when he took over as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator in 2015.
Linehan was also the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Idaho in 1992 and 1993 when Nussmeier was the Vandals’ starting quarterback. Nussmeier has also served as an assistant coach on Linehan’s staff with the Rams and the Cowboys.
Blanton is a former NFL safety who briefly overlapped with Moore when both played for the Cowboys in 2017. He has spent the last four years as the defensive pass game coordinator and safeties coach at Miami University (Ohio).
Like many coordinators who get head coaching opportunities, Kellen Moore is bringing multiple members of his staff in Philadelphia to his new job in New Orleans.
The Saints “are currently working to finalize a deal” to make Doug Nussmeier their next offensive coordinator, per veteran NFL insider Josina Anderson. Nussmeier spent 2024 as the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach and is considered the frontrunner for the job position in New Orleans. He previously coached quarterbacks for the Chargers and the Cowboys. Nussmeier also served as offensive coordinator for several major college programs from 2008 to 2017, including Alabama, Florida, and Michigan.
Nussmeier isn’t the only top Eagles assistant following Moore to New Orleans. The Saints are also hiring Eagles run game specialist and assistant offensive line coach T.J. Paganetti, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. He has spent the last eight seasons in Philadelphia, working closely with legendary Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. Paganetti will likely take over as the Saints’ offensive line coach after John Benton followed Klint Kubiak to Seattle.
Tolzien, a former NFL quarterback himself, will help the Saints navigate an uncertain quarterback situation this year. Derek Carr performed well in 2024, but struggled to stay healthy. His durability will remain a concern entering his age-34 season – if he even stays on the roster – but neither Spencer Rattler nor Jake Haener inspired much confidence in 2024. The Saints’ cap situation will hinder them in the free agent quarterback market, and the draft’s top quarterbacks will likely go before their first round pick (No. 9 overall).
February 12th, 2025 at 10:06pm CST by Sam Robinson
With the Saints making their post-Super Bowl Kellen Moorehire official, the NFL’s 2025 HC carousel has stopped. Nearly a fourth of the league has now changed coaches. Who fared the best with their hire?
Starting in Chicago makes sense, as the Bears convinced picky candidate Ben Johnson to sign on. Johnson was squarely on the Jaguars and Raiders’ radars, to the point it is safe to assume the three-year Lions OC was the favorite for both AFC teams. Johnson expressed concern about the Jaguars’ then-Trent Baalke-centered front office setup, and the Raiders could not entice the highly valued play-caller with a rumored big offer.
The Bears are believed to be giving Johnson a $13MM-per-year deal — more than twice Matt Eberflus‘ salary — to develop Caleb Williams after an uneven rookie season. After Johnson played the lead role in reviving Jared Goff‘s career and turning the Lions’ offense into a dominant attack, this is the most anticipated Bears hire in decades. Johnson will work with holdover GM Ryan Poles, who is expected to receive an extension, and team president Kevin Warren.
As this marks a third straight instance of the Bears drafting a first-round quarterback then firing their HC one season into that player’s career, the Patriots are in the same boat. They jettisoned Jerod Mayo one year into Drake Maye‘s career, capping a tough year for Robert Kraft, who passed on a head coaching search in 2024 due to having identified Mayo as Bill Belichick‘s long-term successor years ago. Kraft’s initial plan was for Belichick to coach through the 2024 season, giving Mayo more on-the-job training. But the Pats’ 4-13 2023 record scuttled that aim. After Belichick’s firing, Mayo did not prove ready — in the eyes of Kraft and most other observers.
Enter Mike Vrabel, who will make his return to Foxborough 16 years after being included in the Matt Cassel tag-and-trade transaction. The 2021 NFL Coach of the Year made sense as an option in 2024, when the Pats had a vacancy, but the team had inserted language in Mayo’s contract naming him the HC-in-waiting. New England has Vrabel set up to have the final say moving forward, though both he and de facto GM Eliot Wolfwill report to Kraft. Vrabel was viewed as having overachieved in Tennessee, leading the Titans to their first AFC championship game since 2002 and following that up with two more playoff berths — including a No. 1 seed in 2021.
The Jaguars enjoyed a much more complicated route to complete its HC hire. After favorite Liam Coeninitially rejected a second interview, Shad Khan fired Baalke — who was again viewed as a hindrance in a coaching search — and conducted stealth negotiations with Coen to reconsider. He ultimately did, and despite the one-and-done Buccaneers OC not having worked for the same team in back-to-back years since a three-season Rams tenure that ended in 2020, he is believed to be tied to a Johnson-level contract and will effectively pick the next Jaguars GM.
This is quite the coup for Coen, after he helped Baker Mayfield to a 41-touchdown pass season, and the exit — after Coen had agreed on a Bucs extension — certainly ruffled feathers in Tampa. But the Jags were desperate for an offense-minded coach to boost Trevor Lawrence, whom the team gave a $55MM-per-year extension ahead of a 4-13 season.
The Raiders pivoted to Pete Carroll, who is set to become the oldest HC in NFL history. Carroll, who will turn 74 in September, profiles as a short-term option. The Raiders gave the former Seahawks Super Bowl-winning leader a three-year deal, which is shorter than the typical HC contract. Carroll will work with powerful minority owner Tom Brady in aiming to turn the Raiders around. The Raiders have gone through four HCs and four GMs (John Spytek the latest) this decade, and they will hope Carroll can calm things down. Carroll was linked to conducting his interviews with a potential successor in mind. The team, however, hired 61-year-old OC Chip Kelly and kept Josh McDaniels‘ DC choice (Patrick Graham); this points to Carroll’s successor not yet being with the team.
Like Vrabel, Aaron Glenn is returning to the team with which his playing career is best identified. The former Jets first-round CB is being given more power than Robert Saleh held, being set to report to ownership. Woody Johnson went so far as to label GM Darren Mougey as Glenn’s sidekick, illustrating both a tremendous opportunity for Glenn and the state of a Jets organization that had trouble attracting candidates (Vrabel and Johnson among them) after a turbulent year.
Glenn, who comes over after elevating the Lions into a top-10 defense despite Aidan Hutchinson‘s injury, is already making his voice heard. Aaron Rodgers is not expected back, with Glenn and Mougey believed to have pressed the QB on ditching his Pat McAfee Showsegments in an effort to focus on football. After two years of the Jets catering to Rodgers, they are in the hunt for a new passer — one Glenn will have a significant say in identifying.
Prior to his Cowboys meetings, Brian Schottenheimer had not conducted a head coaching interview since PFR launched in 2014. The second-generation NFL coach has made the stunning leap from off-radar candidate, who had been Mike McCarthy‘s non-play-calling OC, to Jerry Jones‘ next sideline leader. The Cowboys again conducted a strange HC change, waiting a week to ditch McCarthy — after term length proved a negotiating sticking point — before being tied to Deion Sanders, who never officially interviewed.
Schottenheimer beat out three candidates, as Dallas’ past three HC changes have now featured an interim promotion (Jason Garrett), a two-candidate pool (McCarthy) and now an off-grid option. Schottenheimer has, however, been a four-time NFL OC, dating back to 2006. He was in place for some strong Russell Wilson Seahawks showings, albeit having been fired from that post after three seasons.
The Saints saw McCarthy, Joe Brady and Kliff Kingsbury bow out, as their perennially bad cap situation — one featuring an onerousDerek Carr contract — certainly may have deterred some candidates. But Moore stuck with the team, agreeing to terms despite Super Bowl LIX having raised his stock considerably. The three-time OC will call plays in New Orleans, which will aim to find a post-Carr answer during Moore’s tenure.
Although the new Saints HC’s staff has yet to take shape, Moore will aim to elevate New Orleans after four straight non-playoff seasons. He comes to Louisiana after helming an Eagles offense that peaked at the right time, as the team overpowered the Commanders and Chiefs to claim the championship.
Which teams did the best (and worst) this year? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on the 2025 HC carousel in the comments section.
Moore’s tenure as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator will wind up lasting only one year. The 35-year-old returned to Philadelphia after the team’s Super Bowl win (at the Superdome), but he will now fly back to New Orleans to sign a contract. This will mark Moore’s first head coaching opportunity at the college or NFL levels.
After his playing career came to an end, the former quarterback joined the Cowboys’ coaching staff. One season as Dallas’ QBs coach was followed by a four-year run as the team’s offensive coordinator. Moore’s success in that capacity helped his stock, although then-head coach Mike McCarthy elected to take over play-calling duties in the 2023 offseason. Moore found himself on the move for the first time in his brief coaching career as a result.
The Chargers brought Moore in as their OC for 2023, the only season in Justin Herbert‘s career in which he missed time due to injury. Overall, Los Angeles ranked just 18th in yards and 21st in scoring, and the arrival of new head coach Jim Harbaugh led to Moore changing teams once again. The Eagles – having replaced Shane Steichen with Brian Johnson at the offensive coordinator spot in 2023 – were again in the market for a hire at that position.
Moore helped lead the Eagles to a strong showing on the ground in particular, with the free agent signing of Saquon Barkley proving to be a sound offseason investment. Philadelphia’s passing attack was inconsistent during the campaign, but Moore’s unit was stellar in the postseason. The Eagles scored an NFL-record 145 playoff points en route to winning the Super Bowl, something which helped cement him as the favorite for the Saints’ HC position.
New Orleans was unable to attract serious interest from some of the top candidates in this year’s cycle, with Kliff Kingsbury withdrawing to remain with the Commanders. Aaron Glenn – who previously coached with the Saints – lined up a second interview, but his top choice on that front was the Jets and he ultimately landed the gig with New York. McCarthy was seen as a strong contender for a time, but once he elected to step away from coaching in 2025 Moore moved into pole position.
The latter has drawn head coaching interest in the past, and this deal is expected to come with a considerable raise compared to his Eagles earnings. Still, Moore will face a tall task in his new gig considering where the Saints find themselves. New Orleans has not managed to remain a Super Bowl contender in the wake of Drew Brees‘ retirement and Sean Payton‘s departure, and returning to that level will be challenging. Dennis Allen was promoted to head coach as Payton’s replacement, but he went 18-25 before being dismissed midway through the 2024 campaign.
Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi took over from Allen on an interim basis, and he interviewed for the position on a full-time basis. Rizzi’s fate – along with that of Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Dolphins DC Anthony Weaver – remained undetermined leading up to the Super Bowl with Moore looming as a potential hire. By rule, teams cannot make a head coaching hire with a staffer taking part in the Super Bowl until after the game is played. Now, in Rizzi’s case, a reunion with Payton on the Broncos’ staff can be expected.
The Saints have Derek Carratop the quarterback depth chart for the time being, but on the whole his two-year New Orleans tenure has not gone according to plan. General manager Mickey Loomis made it clear the team’s head coaching hire would have a role in deciding how to proceed with Carr, 33. The four-time Pro Bowler is set to have his base salary guaranteed at the start of the new league year in March, and he is not prepared to take a pay cut. If New Orleans elected to move on, a trade market would likely exist.
Moore and Co. could prefer to keep Carr in the fold for 2025, but in either case adding cost-effective talent and managing yet another case of salary cap gymnastics will be needed this offseason. Still, expectations will be high from a big-picture perspective for Moore to guide the team through a transition back to efficiency on offense given his track record as a coordinator. He will look to move quickly in filling out his staff while the Eagles prepare to use a fourth different OC in as many years.
Philadelphia quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier could be a strong internal candidate to replace Moore, but he is seen as a leading option to join Moore in New Orleans. Brandon Staley – who worked alongside Moore during their time together with the Chargers – is also a staffer to watch closely over the coming days as a potential defensive coordinator hire. In any case, the final head coaching vacancy of the 2025 hiring cycle has been filled and the Saints aim to have found a long-term answer on the sidelines.
FEBRUARY 11: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms the Moore hire should be finalized shortly (video link). He adds that Nussmeier is indeed the top name to watch regarding New Orleans’ offensive coordinator spot, while Staley is firmly in contention to handle defensive coordinator duties. In the wake of winning their second Super Bowl in franchise history, the Eagles will soon need to find a new OC.
FEBRUARY 9: Once Mike McCarthywithdrew his name from consideration for the Saints’ head coaching job – the only such vacancy that remains in this year’s cycle – Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore became the clear favorite for the post. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, Moore is indeed expected to be named as New Orleans’ next HC.
Of course, Moore will first try to win a championship ring today as Philadelphia seeks to prevent a Chiefs three-peat and avenge its narrow loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII. In Moore’s first (and likely only) year with the club, the Eagles finished seventh in points scored and eighth in total offense, a performance that bolstered his already strong head coaching stock.
In three of his four seasons as Cowboys offensive coordinator from 2019-22, Dallas ranked sixth or better in scoring, and Moore became a popular name on the head coaching circuit as a result. While he did not end up landing an HC gig, he never fell below the coordinator ranks, taking a job as the Chargers’ OC in 2023 before moving on to the Eagles in 2024. He was even rumored to be the frontrunner for the Dallas HC post that McCarthy (his former boss) just vacated, before Jerry Jones surprisingly pivoted to Brian Schottenheimer.
Given the Saints’ middling roster, uncertain quarterback situation, and familiar salary cap woes, the New Orleans opening is not considered an especially attractive one, so landing a sought-after candidate with strong credentials can reasonably be classified as a coup for GM Mickey Loomis & Co. One of Moore’s first tasks as the Saints’ sideline general will be to shape the club’s direction at quarterback, including how to proceed with incumbent Derek Carr.
Another clear indicator that Moore will remain in New Orleans after today’s Super Bowl in the Superdome is the fact that the 36-year-old was making calls to potential staffers prior to Super Bowl week (via FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz). ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (subscription required) names 49ers assistant coach Brandon Staley and Buccaneers outside linebackers coach George Edwards as potential defensive coordinator candidates.
Staley was Moore’s boss in 2023 when the former served as the Chargers’ head coach, though neither he nor Edwards received a defensive coordinator interview this year. Just as the Eagles’ playoff success delayed Moore’s eligibility to join another club and may have forced the Cowboys to go in a different direction at head coach, that delay also could have prevented Moore from landing some of his preferred assistants.
Klayton Adams and Matt Eberflus, who recently accepted Dallas’ offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator jobs, respectively, were also seen as strong candidates for Moore’s first staff, according to Fowler. Eagles quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, who has worked with Moore in Dallas, Los Angeles, and now Philadelphia, is seen as a potential OC option for the Saints if they move forward with the Moore hire.
The Cowboys are looking to the college level to fill their running backs coaching position; both candidates have histories in Dallas. The team turned to one of its former running backs — Tashard Choice — as a recent interviewee, All DLLS’ Clarence Hill notes. Choice is the Texas Longhorns’ RBs coach, having held that job for the past three seasons. A Cowboys running back from 2008-11, Choice wrapped his playing career after the 2013 season. He spent the 2016 campaign as a Cowboys intern. The team is also interviewing Oregon RBs coach Ra’Shaad Samples for the job, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris. Staples is a Dallas native who coached in the area while at SMU from 2019-21; his interview went well, per Hill. The one-year Ducks assistant is best known in NFL circles for being the Rams’ RBs coach in 2022; he left for an Arizona State assistant job before that season ended.
Here is the latest from the NFC side of the coaching carousel:
Another Bucs staffer who will remain in place: Larry Foote. The linebackers coach interviewed for the Lions’ DC job, being the team’s only outside candidate before a Kelvin Sheppard promotion, but will not leave for a job anywhere else. Foote told the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud he is staying. The former linebacker has enjoyed a long assistant tenure with the Bucs; this will be his seventh season with the team.
DeAngelo Hall‘s stint on the Panthers‘ staff is over, per the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye. The team had hired the former Pro Bowl cornerback as assistant DBs coach during Frank Reich‘s months-long HC stint. Hall, however, could land on his feet soon. The 49ers are interviewing him for their DBs coach position, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo adds. Hall and Kyle Shanahan overlapped for four seasons in Washington during the early 2010s.
Moving back to the Cowboys, their Klayton AdamsOC hire did not surprise the Cardinals. But the NFC West team was monitoring a potential relocation to New Orleans as well. The Cards expected their previous O-line coach to join Brian Schottenheimer or follow Kellen Moore to the Saints, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Moore has not taken the New Orleans job yet, but he is the favorite. Both Moore and Adams are Boise State alums, though their Idaho stays did not overlap.
Elsewhere on Arizona’s staff, the team has identified new line coaches. Justin Frye is coming aboard as O-line coach, and Winston DeLattiboudere is heading to the desert as D-line coach, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Ryan Burns report. DeLattiboudere comes over from the University of Minnesota and is rising fast; we have a Gen Z coach here, as the two-year Golden Gophers D-line coach is 27. He spent the 2022 season with the Packers as a Bill Walsh diversity coaching fellow. Frye has considerably more experience and is coming off three seasons as Ohio State’s O-line coach. The Bears interviewed Frye for their O-line job. The ex-Chip Kelly assistant is also not following his two-time boss (also at UCLA) to Las Vegas, being set to camp elsewhere in the desert.
The Bears are still working on filling out Ben Johnson‘s staff. They interviewed Florida assistant Gerald Chatman for the D-line coach position, Zenitz adds. A Bengals defensive assistant from 2019-20, Chatman spent the 2024 season at Florida.
Signs continue to point to Kellen Moore becoming the Saints’ next head coach. The parties have already interviewed twice, but another meeting is being arranged.
No final decision has been made, of course, but this latest update comes as no surprise. Moore was recently joined by former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy as a top candidate, but the latter has since withdrawn from consideration. That leaves Moore firmly in the lead for the lone remaining HC opportunity in the NFL. Darren Rizzi, who finished the 2024 campaign as the Saints’ interim head coach, looms as an alternative at this stage of the search process.
Throughout the early stages of the 2025 hiring cycle, it became clear many of the top candidates on the market were not enthused about taking charge of the Saints. Aaron Glenn represented an exception in that regard, although he wound up being hired by the Jets before his second New Orleans interview took place. Follow-up meetings have been held with Giants offensive coordinatorMike Kafka as well as Dolphins defensive coordinatorAnthony Weaver, but they will need to wait more than one week to find out if Moore is officially hired.
Presuming that will take place when possible, the 35-year-old will begin his first NFL head coaching position in 2025. Shortly after his playing career ended, Moore worked with the Cowboys for five years (including four as OC). That was followed by a single campaign as the Chargers’ offensive coordinator and, for 2024, the same role with the Eagles. Philadelphia’s ground game has played a major role in the team’s success this year, and it could make him the latest staffer to parlay an Eagles OC gig into a first-time head coaching position.
The Saints’ roster is understandably not seen as one with a high ceiling as things stand, and the quarterback position is unsettled in the case of Derek Carr(especially beyond next year). New Orleans’ next head coach will have a say in shaping the team’ direction under center, and it continues to look as though that task will fall to Moore in the near future.
With Mike McCarthy following Joe Brady and Kliff Kingsbury out of the Saints HC pursuit, Kellen Moorelooms as the presumptive favorite. While SI.com’s Albert Breer agrees with that classification, he does not view Darren Rizzi as being out of the running. Rizzi interviewed for the position, though Mike Kafka and Anthony Weaverhave conducted two interviews. Seeing the Saints lose some bigger names could influence them to revisit Rizzi as a viable candidate. While this would be an unorthodox move — both due to Rizzi’s interim status and background in special teams — it is fairly clear the New Orleans job is not viewed as particularly attractive right now.
If Rizzi does not land the job, a reunion with Sean Paytonin Denver may await. Here is the latest out of the coaching ranks:
The Jets hired Steve Wilks over Chris Harrisfor their DC post, but CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones notes that the latter should not be discounted from coming to New York as well. Harris has been a regular on the DC carousel in recent years, Harris stayed with the Titans despite the team firing Mike Vrabel. A role similar to what he holds in Tennessee, that of pass-game coordinator, could await in New York.
Former Chargers DC Renaldo Hill is signing on with the Panthers, according to The Athletic’s Joe Person. This will mark a return to the league after a year off for the former NFL safety; he had previously worked as the Dolphins’ defensive pass-game coordinator under Vic Fangio. Although Person notes the Panthers have a safeties job available, Hill’s title is not known. Carolina is also adding Rams assistant AC Carter as their OLBs coach, the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye adds. Carter has been the Rams’ assistant D-line coach for the past two years. He made his NFL debut as a Broncos quality control staffer under Ejiro Evero in 2022.
The Bears spoke with Lunda Wells about a job recently, but the Cowboys are keeping him. Dallas has reached an extension to retain its tight ends coach, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. We heard earlier this week Brian Schottenheimerwould likely keep Wells, who came over along with McCarthy in 2020.
Elsewhere on the Chicago staff, the team interviewed Ohio State assistant Justin Frye for its O-line coach position, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Frye has only worked at the college level, topping out as UCLA’s OC under Chip Kelly. The former Bruins HC rejoined his ex-assistant at Ohio State last year; Frye has been coaching Buckeyes blockers since 2022, collecting a national championship ring this past season. Tulane O-line coach Dan Roushar is also expected to interview, Biggs adds. Roushar spent 10 seasons with the Saints (2013-22), before making an in-state move back to the college level.
On the defensive side, the Bears are also making a move. Ben Johnson is adding Birmingham Stallions assistant Bill Johnson as his D-line coach, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Johnson, 69, served as both an O-line and D-line coach with the USFL-then-UFL franchise. He has been out of the NFL since 2018, when he served as Rams D-line coach. He was on LSU’s national championship-winning staff in the same role a year later. Bill Johnson’s longest NFL stay came with New Orleans (2009-16), but he has nearly 20 years’ experience in the league.
The Raiders made news Wednesday night by agreeing to keepPatrick Graham as DC; Pete Carroll will be Graham’s third HC in Las Vegas. More continuity is coming for a new regime still, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adding the team is retaining special teams coordinator Tom McMahon. In coaching for more than 30 years, McMahon has served as ST coordinator for the Rams, Chiefs, Colts, Broncos and Raiders; he has been in Vegas since 2022.
Northern Illinois HC Thomas Hammock is generating some looks from the NFL. At least three teams have reached out about a potential position coach role, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Hammock has been the Northern Illinois leader since 2019 but previously enjoyed a stint as Ravens RBs coach. The Huskies picked up a signature win last season by upsetting Notre Dame.
JANUARY 29: Moore is indeed viewed as a lead candidate for this job, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. With McCarthy, Brady and Kingsbury out of the running, the Saints are running short on names to fill the NFL’s last remaining HC vacancy. The team cannot officially hire Moore until after Super Bowl LIX, but unofficial agreements — like the 49ers’ 2017 deal with Kyle Shanahan and the Colts’ eventually broken pledge with Josh McDaniels in 2018 — are often reached with Super Bowl-bound coordinators before those games.
The 2023 offseason also showed teams have been willing to wait on Eagles assistants until after a Super Bowl. The Cardinals and Colts respectively waited out that Eagles-Chiefs matchup, respectively hiring Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen. Moore met with the Saints in-person Monday night. Were the Philly OC to take this job, it would be his fourth in four years. Moore has bounced from play-calling gigs in Dallas, Los Angeles and Philadelphia from 2022-24.
Surprisingly, McCarthy never spoke with the Saints about the job despite their reported interest. The two sides intended to meet this week, but those plans were scuttled by McCarthy’s withdrawal, per Underhill. His hesitation could be a result of New Orleans’ pursuit of Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver are also considered finalists for the job after going through second interviews last week. Here is a full list of the Saints’ candidates:
Mickey Loomis has been linked to wanting to tie his to-be-determined next HC to some of Dennis Allen‘s contracted assistants, but Mike McCarthy may not see eye-to-eye with that approach. This has introduced one of the potential hurdles in McCarthy’s path back to New Orleans. McCarthy’s view could affect the Broncos‘ staff as well, as 9News’ Mike Klis notes that he or Kellen Moore landing the Saints’ HC job could well lead Darren Rizzi to rejoin Sean Payton in Denver. Before the coaching carousel started to spin, the Saints moving Rizzi from interim HC to another staff position — presumably back to the special teams coordinator role — was likely. But the Broncos are among the teams interested in poaching him if the Saints let the ex-Payton hire out of his deal. Rizzi and Payton coached together for three seasons.
The Broncos have seen two of their staffers — pass-game coordinator John Morton and tight ends coach Declan Doyle — become OCs elsewhere (Lions, Bears). But they are retaining Vance Joseph for a third season; DBs coach Jim Leonhard is also staying, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Leonhard is believed to have drawn DC interest from three teams, and while it is interesting that no interviews are taking place (as Denver cannot block them), the former Wisconsin DC and Broncos safety will stick around.
Here is the latest from the AFC coaching ranks:
The Browns kept their OC post internal, elevatingTommy Rees, and they will do the same with their QBs coaching role. The team interviewed Giants assistant QBs coach Christian Jones for the job, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets, but they are instead shifting veteran Bill Musgrave to that position (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). Musgrave, 57, is a six-time NFL OC — with the Eagles, Panthers, Jaguars, Vikings, Raiders and Broncos — and served as a senior offensive assistant on the past two Browns staffs. The Browns are backstopping their 32-year-old OC with considerable experience.
Former Cardinals and Giants DC James Bettcher has landed another gig under Lou Anarumo. The new Colts DC is adding Bettcher as linebackers coach, Pelissero tweets. Bettcher, 46, served as the Bengals’ LBs coach from 2022-24. He had previously headed up the Arizona and New York defenses in the 2010s but has since settled back on the positional level. This will also be a second tour of duty for Bettcher in Indianapolis; he coached under Chuck Pagano in 2012, before following Bruce Arians — Indy’s acting HC during Pagano’s cancer battle that year — to Arizona.
The Bengals will replace Bettcher with Mike Hodges, who will come over from the Saints. New Orleans had employed Hodges, 38, as its linebackers coach from 2020-24. Overall, Hodges spent eight seasons under Dennis Allen in the Big Easy, making it a bit interesting he is headed to Cincinnati than following Allen to Chicago.
Two new staffers are joining the Dolphins. Craig Aukerman is set to lead Miami’s ST units, Pelissero adds. An NFL staffer for 14 years, Aukerman spent 10 seasons with the Titans, staying on staff through four HCs. A 2023 game that featured two Tennessee punts blocked and standout punter Ryan Stonehouse suffering a serious knee injury led to Aukerman’s firing, and he did not coach in 2024. The Dolphins are also hiring Robert Prince as their wide receivers coach, per Pelissero. Prince has not previously coached under Mike McDaniel, but he has been an NFL assistant since 2004. After seven seasons with the Lions and a 2021 stop in Houston, he coached the Cowboys’ WRs for the past three years.
Circling back to Denver, the team is moving on from one of Joseph’s staffers. Greg Manusky will not be back as the Broncos‘ linebackers coach, Pelissero offers. The Broncos’ linebackers were perhaps the weak point on a top-five defense this season, though the unit lost top tackler Alex Singleton in Week 2. A four-time NFL DC, Manusky spent the past two seasons as Denver’s ILBs coach.
The 61-year-old Linehan has 35 years of coaching experience, including several stints as offensive coordinator at top college programs (Washington, Louisville) and several NFL teams (Vikings, Dolphins, Rams, Cowboys). He also served as the Rams’ head coach from 2006-2008. The team compiled an 11-25 record before Linehan was fired due to an 0-4 start to the 2008 season.
