New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore announced today that the club has hired Doug Nussmeier as offensive coordinator, Brandon Staley as defensive coordinator, promoted Phil Galiano to special teams coordinator, hired Joel Thomas as associate head coach/running backs coach, Terry Joseph as defensive pass game coordinator, T.J. Paganetti as run game coordinator, Robert Blanton as assistant defensive backs coach, Grady Brown as cornerbacks coach, Bo Davis as defensive line coach, Jahri Evans as assistant offensive line coach, Peter Giunta as a senior defensive assistant, Adam Gristick as assistant linebackers coach, Chase Haslett as tight ends coach, Tobijah Hughley as an offensive assistant, Brendan Nugent as offensive line coach, Scott Linehan as a senior offensive assistant, Mike Martinez as assistant to the head coach, Jay Rodgers as edges coach, Peter Sirmon as linebackers coach, Scott Tolzien as quarterbacks coach, Kyle Valero as assistant wide receivers coach, Kyle Wilber as assistant special teams coach, Keith Williams as wide receivers coach, Brian Young as assistant defensive line coach, Ted Rath as director of sports performance, along with Charles Byrd and Riley Ireland as strength and conditioning coaches.
Nussmeier, a 24-year coaching veteran, including nine in the National Football League, returns to New Orleans after originally being a fourth round pick (116th overall) of the Saints in the 1994 NFL Draft out of Idaho, for who he played four seasons. He spent the 2024 season as quarterbacks coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Nussmeier was a key piece of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX Champion offensive coaching staff.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts flourished under Nussmeier’s tutelage, posting a career-high 103.7 passer rating, ranking fifth in the league. Hurts also ranked among the top eight in the league in yards per attempt (fourth, 8.0), completion percentage (eighth, career-high 68.7 pct.) and total touchdowns (eighth, 32). In addition, Hurts tied for the fifth-most rushing touchdowns (14) in the league, first among quarterbacks.
In the postseason, Hurts completed 65-of-91 (71.4 pct.) passes for 726 yards with five touchdowns and a 108.6 passer rating. On the ground, he carried 34 times for 194 yards with five touchdowns, tying his own postseason record for quarterbacks. In Philadelphia’s 40-22 Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Hurts was voted the game’s MVP after completing 17-of-22 (77.3 pct.) attempts for 221 yards, two touchdowns, a 119.7 passer rating and 72 rushing yards with one touchdown, the most rushing yards by a quarterback ever in a Super Bowl.
Staley arrives in New Orleans after serving as assistant head coach/defense of the San Francisco 49ers in 2024. Working with multiple position groups, as well as serving as a valued resource to 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco defense finished the season ranked eighth in the NFL in opponent net yards per game (317.4) and fifth against the pass (192.8 net yards per game). DL Nick Bosa was selected to the Pro Bowl Games roster after recording nine sacks, one interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. LB Fred Warner was selected to the Pro Bowl and voted Associated Press All-Pro and PFWA All-NFL, as he registered 131 tackles (76 solo), two interceptions returned for 70 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown return and four forced fumbles.
From 2021-23, Staley served as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, who he led to two winning campaigns. In 2022, he guided the Chargers to a 10-7 record and the first postseason appearance for the franchise since 2018. Prior to joining the Chargers, Staley spent 2020 as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. With Staley at the defensive helm, the Rams led the NFL in total defense (281.9 net yards per game), passing defense (190.7 net yards per game) and scoring defense (18.5 points per game), while finishing with the third-best rushing defense (91.3 yards per game).
