NEW ORLEANS — A Latter-day Saint coaching the Saints?
Yep, it’s true — and now it’s official.
On Tuesday, the New Orleans Saints announced that Kellen Moore is the franchise’s new head coach.
NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill was the first to report that the deal was being finalized.
Moore has spent the past six seasons as an offensive coordinator in the NFL.
On Sunday, he won a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles, as the Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome — a place he’ll now call home with the Saints.
Moore flew back to Philadelphia with the team following the Super Bowl but was returning to New Orleans to make the move official, ESPN reported.
“I am excited to join the New Orleans Saints and deeply appreciate the faith that Mrs. (Gayle) Benson and the entire Saints organization have placed in me,” Moore said in a statement. “I look forward to embracing the challenges ahead and am eager to get started. I would also like to thank the Philadelphia Eagles for an incredible 2024 season. I’m excited to begin this new chapter.”
That now completes the 2025 NFL head coach hiring cycle. The Saints were the last of seven teams to fill a vacant position with their hiring of the 36-year-old Moore.
The 36-year-old Moore has spent the past six years as an offensive coordinator in the NFL.
The year after the former Boise State quarterback ended his playing career — he spent six years as a player in the league — Moore joined the Dallas Cowboys as the team’s quarterbacks coach in 2018.
He was elevated to offensive coordinator the next year and spent four years as OC in Dallas, then was the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 before serving in the same capacity with Philadelphia this season.
“At the start of the interview process, it was important to find a head coach who was the right fit for the New Orleans Saints organization,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement.
“Through the search process, it became clear that Kellen is the right person to help us re-establish a winning program and culture that our fans are accustomed to and have come to expect. I would also like to thank Darren Rizzi for his service as interim coach and leading our team this past season. I am truly grateful to him.”
Kellen Moore’s religion
Moore becomes the second member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be a current head coach in the NFL, joining the Chiefs’ Andy Reid.
The 66-year-old Reid has three Super Bowl wins as a head coach and has led Kansas City to Super Bowl appearances in five of the past six seasons.
Reid was trying to lead his team to the first Super Bowl three-peat in NFL history on Sunday, but Moore and the Eagles marched out to a 34-0 lead on the way to blowing out the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.
Moore said before Sunday’s game that he hadn’t had much experience with Reid, but has drawn lessons from the success Reid’s had in his 26 seasons as an NFL head coach.
“I’ve really tried to learn a lot from afar. Obviously, he’s been one of the best in this league for a really long time, and so I certainly watch a lot of Kansas City film each and every year, just trying to study things, trying to grow,” Moore told the Deseret News last week.
“They’re always innovative. They’re always trying new things. They’re always finding the next edge, which is really cool.”
Moore coached two Latter-day Saint players in Philadelphia this past season, quarterback Tanner McKee and former wide receiver/punt returner Britain Covey, the former University of Utah and Timpview High star.
“I think he has a great relationship with his players. I think he’s very knowledgeable of the game,” McKee told the Deseret News.
In New Orleans, Moore will be paired with another famous Latter-day Saint football player, do-everything Taysom Hill, who has played for the Saints since 2017.
He’ll also work with former BYU and Lehi High tight end and church member Dallin Holker, who finished his college career at Colorado State.
Former University of Utah linebacker Nephi Sewell, another Latter-day Saint, will be an exclusive rights free agent this season after spending the past three seasons on the New Orleans roster.
There are other Utah ties with the Saints as well: former Weber State wide receiver Rashid Shaheed is a reliable deep threat in New Orleans, while former BYU running back Jamaal Williams also provides depth in the Saints backfield.
Moore has visited BYU and Provo in the offseason and is friends with BYU head coach Kalani Sitake and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, Sitake told BYU TV’s “SportsNation” last week.
“I am excited for Kellen,” Sitake said, as the Deseret News previously reported. “He’s calling plays, and doing some really cool things. Brother Moore is doing some work there. So there is some good representation from our church in this game.”
Moore spoke with the Deseret News last Wednesday about how the Church of Jesus Christ’s teachings — which include the importance of family — help pattern his life on and off the field.
“The beauty of this profession is, it’s a really fun profession. It’s a really challenging profession, but you’ve got to keep it in perspective,” he said. “The ability to separate when you go home, I think it’s really important that you’re with your family. You allow that separation to exist.”
What Kellen Moore accomplished in Philadelphia
During his one season in Philadelphia, Moore led an offense that ranked seventh in the NFL in points per game (27.2) and eight in net yards per game (367.2).
The Eagles also set a single-season franchise record for rushing yards with 3,048 — that was led by Saquon Barkley becoming just the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards (2,005).
Philadelphia’s passing attack also set a club record with a 103.4 passer rating, led by a career-high 103.7 from quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The dual-threat Hurts was named the Super Bowl MVP after throwing for 221 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 72 yards and another score in Super Bowl LIX.
“Jalen has done just a tremendous job. Each and every week, he prepares like no other. You know, the work that he puts in this thing is special,” Moore said of his starting quarterback. “His ability to play in the run game, in the pass game, and just his feel for the game, his situational awareness, his ability to find, find a way to win games is special.”
Philadelphia ended up with 345 yards of total offense in the Super Bowl and scored on seven possessions, with 10 of its 13 reaching Kansas City territory.
“I mean, he’s probably the easiest (coach) to talk to. He’s kind of like one of the guys in the locker room,” Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson, who had a key 27-yard catch early in the Super Bowl to set up Philadelphia’s first touchdown, told the Deseret News. “He’s a brilliant mind, picking his brain a little bit, he just puts us in great positions to win games.”
Philadelphia head coach Nick Siranni echoed those sentiments last week when asked why he believes Moore will be successful as a coach, amid reports that Moore was the frontrunner for the New Orleans position.
“I think he’s highly detailed in teaching the game of football. I think that he loves this game. He works extremely hard. He’s got a great offensive mind to help our guys and put our guys in positions to succeed and get better,” Sirianni said.