The Saints are hiring former Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as their next defensive coordinator, per Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
Staley has been a top candidate for the Saints’ DC gig ever since Kellen Moore was hired as head coach. Moore was the Chargers’ offensive coordinator in 2023, Staley’s last season as head coach. Staley was fired before the end of the regular season and spent 2024 as an assistant head coach with the 49ers. He interviewed with the Saints last weekend and emerged as the favorite for the job, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
2025 will be Staley’s ninth season coaching in the NFL. He began his career at the college level before moving to the pros as an outside linebackers coach under Vic Fangio in Chicago (2017-2018) and Denver (2019). Staley was then hired by the Rams in 2020 as defensive coordinator. His defense finished first in total points and yards allowed, which helped him land the Chargers’ head coaching gig after just one year as a coordinator.
Staley led the Chargers to a 9-8 record in his debut season with a top-five offense under second-year quarterback Justin Herbert. A 10-7 record in 2022 was enough for a playoff berth as a wild card, though the Chargers lost to the Jaguars in the first round. 2023 saw significant regression on both sides of the ball, leading to Staley’s firing after a 5-9 start. The Chargers’ defensive struggles were particularly concerning during his tenure; the team never finished higher than 20th in points or yards allowed across his three seasons.
Staley’s history with Fangio likely helped him land the job in New Orleans. Fangio is the Eagles’ defensive coordinator and worked with Moore in Philadelphia last season. The two led elite units on either side of the ball to a 14-3 record in the regular season and a victory in Super Bowl LIX. Staley will likely install a scheme similar to Fangio’s in New Orleans to turn around a Saints defense that allowed the third-most yards in the NFL in 2024.
The Saints may face criticism for their hiring process. Their other two candidates, Daronte Jones and Christian Parker, are minorities. Given Staley’s early status as a frontrunner for the job, the Saints’ meetings with Jones and Parker could be seen as sham interviews only conducted so the team could comply with the NFL’s Rooney Rule.
New Orleans also considered some college coaches for their defensive coordinator vacancy, including Colorado DC Robert Livingston, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Here is a final update on their search:
