All signs point to the New Orleans Saints hiring Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to be their next head coach. His hiring is expected to be made official later this week.
However, the Saints, who will be the seventh NFL team to hire a new head coach this offseason, reportedly had a different coaching candidate in mind before picking Moore.
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New Orleans Saints wanted to hire Kliff Kingsbury as head coach
While the New Orleans Saints will look like geniuses when they announce the hiring of Kellen Moore, thanks to the Eagles’ Super Bowl win, his tenure will ultimately be judged on wins and losses.
Throughout their coaching interview process, the Saints were criticized for being the worst landing spot for a new head coach. Reports suggested no one wanted the job.
Of course, they may have simply been waiting for Moore to become available, now we’ve learned about another candidate the Saints wanted to hire first.
According to 106 The Fan’s Grant Paulsen, the Saints wanted to hire Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to replace Dennis Allen as head coach. Yet, Kingsbury eventually told the Saints he preferred to stick in Washington for another year as their offensive play-caller.
“I was told by a rival team official the Saints job was Kliff Kingsbury’s if he wanted it. Was made clear to him that was the case. He preferred calling plays in DC and staying with Daniels over taking the gig.”
Paulsen on Saints offering head coaching job to Kliff Kingsbury
If the Commanders’ offense has another strong season, Kingsbury’s chances of emerging as an NFL head coach again next offseason shouldn’t diminish. Yet, odds are he won’t be able to become the Saints’ head coach again, at least not in 2026. Then again, maybe that’s what he prefers.
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