After being hired by the New Orleans Saints, Kellen Moore had the difficult task of filling out a staff that had several vacancies. So far, he’s been accomplishing that challenge just fine. Moore has hired Doug Nussmeier as offensive coordinator and Brandon Staley as defensive coordinator, as well as several other quality assistants, putting together a promising staff with the perfect mix of youth and experience.
Recently, New Orleans added another talented name to the party. On Monday, Nick Underhill reported the Saints are adding Scott Linehan to the staff. While his role with the team isn’t clear, he has a long line of productive experience that should serve the Saints well.
Smart hire. https://t.co/2LLh2rXHgT
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 3, 2025
Saints hiring coach Scott Linehan
Linehan has been coaching at the college and NFL level since 1989. He was the head coach for the St. Louis Rams from 2006 to 2008, and held the offensive coordinator role for the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, and Dallas Cowboys, throughout his career as a coach.
He has been a part of several productive offenses, and connected to quite a few elite quarterbacks. Linehan has coached Daunte Culpepper, Matt Stafford, and Tony Romo. He also coached Kellen Moore during his time with the Cowboys, before Moore transitioned to the coaching staff to work alongside him.
That’s likely where the two build the connection that led to Linehan joining Moore in New Orleans. If it’s one thing that’s been clear during Moore’s short time as the Saints head coach, it’s that he has a lot of connections throughout the league. While he quickly ascended through the coaching ranks, he still managed to build relationships that are clearly paying off now.
Soon, it will be time to see what kind of relationships Moore built with players. When free agency starts, there will be quite a few players available that previously played under Moore. The Saints will have to overcome a horrific cap situation as Moore tries to recruit players to New Orleans, but it’s good to know he has connections.
The quality coaching staff that Moore put together is one if the earliest signs that New Orleans made a good decision to hire him. Of course, this is just the start. The coaching staff will ultimately need to lead the team to a lot of wins for the Moore hire to officially be deemed a success.