Breaking news: Saints’ Kellen Moore feels ‘ready’ for coaching opportunity.
METAIRIE, La. — When asked how they’d describe Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles players had a lot to say about their former offensive coordinator.
An offensive wizard, a dad-joke machine and a man who leads by action were just some of the terms used to describe the recently hired New Orleans Saints coach, who was officially introduced by the team on Thursday.
“Kellen’s a little wizard,” Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata joked on the Monday before the Super Bowl. “‘He’s a little wizard Harry.’ And I think his style of play and the way he calls plays, setting up other plays, has been crucial to this year.”
Can Moore’s success as a playcaller translate into leading a team? New Orleans believes so. Saints owner Gayle Benson said they wanted a candidate who was “exceptionally bright, creative and more importantly, a tremendous leader.”
“I believe that is exactly what we have in Moore. He has been a winner at every stage of his career, both as a player and a coach” Benson said. “As we saw this past weekend in our very own Caesars Superdome, Kellen led a creative and innovative offense in winning Super Bowl LIX.”
But Moore will have to prove the organization’s faith in him was correct when he begins his first season in New Orleans. Moore, 36, is the youngest NFL head coach entering the 2025 season — his first stint as a head coach at any level. He spent the 2024 season with the Eagles, who ranked seventh in scoring offense and averaged 27.2 points in the regular season. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley led the NFL with 2,005 rushing yards in their one season together.
When the Saints hold their first practices this summer, he’ll potentially be coaching veterans such as linebacker Demario Davis, 36, and defensive end Cameron Jordan, 35.
“Everyone likes to say it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert. That’s a famous book. Certainly, I felt like being around it for a long time led me into the opportunities that I’ve been presented,” Moore said. “I’ve been preparing for this my entire life, I feel ready.”
He’ll also be different from former coaches such as Sean Payton, who stepped away after the 2021 season, and Darren Rizzi, the interim head coach for the second half of the 2024 season after Dennis Allen was fired in November. Payton was known for his intensity, while Rizzi was known for his unique ability to relate to players.
Mailata initially described Moore as “mild-mannered” last week before comparing him to outspoken Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, saying they were polar opposites. But, Mailata pointed out players love Moore because he took their voices and opinions seriously.
“I think when you have that kind of relationship with the offensive coordinator, you go the extra mile for them,” he said. “So I think he’s definitely got the ability to become a great coach.”
Moore’s former players said that while he is quieter, he’s also funny and relaxed, always ready with a corny joke.
“Kellen’s like a goofy dad-joke guy. You know what I’m saying? When he puts in some jokes, it’s definitely some dad jokes that I’m like, ah, it’s kind of funny. It’s kind of quirky,” said Eagles tight end C.J. Uzomah. “But he’s great. He is unbelievably smart. … He knows ball like crazy and hearing him talk about certain plays and certain schemes and certain games, we’re like, ‘Damn, we know this is going to work.’ So yeah, it’s awesome. He’s a great coach and a great human.”
Making jokes is one way Moore has endeared himself to players. The other is by showing them what he’s capable of doing.
Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson said there was an adjustment period for Moore, who was hired in the 2024 offseason after a season as offensive oordinator with the Los Angeles Chargers. But any questions about him were quieted once he started drawing things up in meetings.
“What matters to me is whenever he gets on the board and talks to us and you really see what type of genius he is,” Johnson said. “So those actions speak louder than words, but he’s able to command a room and he’s a fun personality. … There’s a lot of depth to him and he lets, I guess, few people see it, but he takes up a room when he gets under there and is able to be a genius. So that’s how I see it.”
While Moore is just starting as a head coach, he has already encountered plenty of unique experiences as a coach. He said he views things from a quarterback lens after playing for Boise State and then for the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys.
Moore went from playing for the Cowboys to coaching their quarterbacks when he retired in 2018. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019 and held that role through the 2022 season.
“I was fortunate to be able to transition quickly from playing right into coaching in Dallas, [which] allowed me to go through that process rather quickly,” Moore said Thursday. “… I think a lot of guys in this league, they’ve gone through this journey. A lot of quarterbacks have become coaches and there’s probably a reason for it.”
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