Meet the 2024 New Orleans Saints coaches: Darren Rizzi

Rizzi is entering his sixth season with the Saints

Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00 AM

Darren Rizzi was named special teams coordinator for the New Orleans Saints on February 11, 2019 and added the important role of assistant head coach in 2022 under Head Coach Dennis Allen. Rizzi brings 31 years of coaching experience, including a ten-season stint with the Miami Dolphins from 2009-18.

Darren Rizzi

Special Teams Coordinator

College: University of Rhode Island
Hometown: Hillsdale, NJ

Rizzi's units have ranked in the top half of NFL writer Rick Gosselin's annual special teams rankings in 12 of the 13 years that he has served as a coordinator, including first in 2019, fifth in both 2020 and 2021 and second in 2023. Since he entered the NFL coaching ranks in 2009, seven special teams players have been named to eight Pro Bowls under his tutelage. Rizzi has also coached six players to the NFL All-Rookie team in the past ten years.

Over his Saints career, Rizzi's work on special teams have made the kicking game an integral part of New Orleans' success. On coverage units, J.T. Gray's 65 tackles rank second in the NFL. The punting game has produced the top three seasons in club history for punts inside-the-20-yard line. Since 2019, the Saints have excelled in the return game. Over the five-season period, the team has been ranked sixth in the NFL in punt return average (10.1), while coverage units have allowed the third-lowest punt return average (7.0). The special teams units have not given up a touchdown since 2019.

Last season, New Orleans finished in the Top 10 in the NFL in 13-of-22 special teams categories, leading or sharing the lead in five of them and finishing second in two others. New Orleans finished first in the league in opponent punt return average (5.6), while giving their defense the second-best starting point after kickoffs (24.2). Second-year WR/RS Rashid Shaheed was selected as a Pro Bowl starter as a return specialist and as an Associated Press first-team All-Pro punt returner, ranking third in the NFL in punt return average (13.6) with a 76-yard touchdown, the third-longest return in franchise history.

Youth was served, as a total of nine rookies or first-year players contributed to the Saints special teams, including K Blake Grupe, P Lou Hedley and LB Nephi Sewell. Grupe set the club rookie record with 30 field goals, led the team with 130 points and ranked third in the NFL with 76 touchbacks. Hedley's 31 punts inside-the-20-yard line ranked second in club record books. Sewell recorded five coverage stops and forced a fumble by the punter in Week 14 that was recovered for a touchdown.

In 2022, the Saints special teams units delivered another productive season. After a season-ending toe injury suffered by Deonte Harty, Shaheed had a 9.7 average on 20 punt returns as a rookie. Despite missing three contests, Gray led the Saints with 12 coverage stops. P Blake Gillikin had a team-record 32 punts inside-the-20.

In 2021, Gray received his first career selection as a Pro Bowl starter after leading the NFL with 19 special teams tackles and was an AP first-team All-Pro. LB Andrew Dowell, in his first full NFL season, tied for fifth in the league with 14 coverage stops and blocked a punt. In his first season handling punting duties, 29 of Gillikin's punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, ranked fourth in the NFL and tying a team record at the time. The Saints special teams unit ranked fourth in the NFL in opponent average starting position after kickoffs (24.1-yard line) and eighth in punt return average (10.0).

In 2020, Rizzi fielded a unit that ranked first in opponent punt return average (2.3), second in opponent kickoff return average (17.2), sixth in kickoff return average (25.4 avg.) and ninth in punt return average (10.2 avg.), while ranking third in opponent average starting position after kickoffs (23.8-yard line) and ninth in average starting position after kickoffs (25.9-yard line). Harty had a 12.2 punt return average and 27.3 kickoff return average.

In his first season with New Orleans in 2019, Rizzi worked with a unit that rose to first in Gosselin's rankings, featuring standout performances from Harty, K Wil Lutz, P Thomas Morstead and Gray. For the first time in franchise history, two special teams players were selected to the AP All-Pro team (Gray and Harty) and for the second time two were selected to the Pro Bowl (Harty and Lutz). An undrafted free agent, Harty ranked in the top five in the NFL in kickoff and punt return average. Lutz set a team record by drilling 32 field goals, ranking second in the NFL in scoring (144 points), PATs (48) and touchbacks (career-high 74) and third in field goals. Morstead ranked fifth in the NFL in net punting average (43.1), was named the September NFC Special Teams Player of the Month and twice was selected conference Special Teams Player of the Week. Gray led the Saints with 16 coverage stops, blocked a punt and recovered a fumble on coverage.

The 2018 Dolphins graded out fourth in the NFL in Gosselin's rankings. Jason Sanders drilled 18-of-20 (90.0 pct.) field goal attempts and was a PFWA All-Rookie selection, one of only four kickers to kick in all of his team's games and miss just two or fewer field goals and one of only four to miss three or fewer kicks. His 90.0 field goal percentage was ranked eighth in the NFL and fifth-best in Dolphins history. Matt Haack's 35 punts downed inside the 20 ranked fifth in the NFL. Miami was ninth in the NFL in punt return average (10.5 avg.) with Jakeem Grant leading the league (16.3) before being placed on Injured Reserve in Week 13.

The 2017 Dolphins were tied for second in the NFL with three blocked kicks – two field goals and one punt. Cody Parkey tied what was a team field goal percentage record by converting 21-of-23 attempts (91.3 pct.), including a 54-yard game-winner, the longest game-winner in team history. He also successfully converted four onside kicks, the most in NFL history since records date back to 1997. Miami's kickoff coverage unit was the best in the NFL, forcing opponents to start on average at their own 23-yard line. The team graded out at No. 11 in Gosselin's rankings and Pro Football Focus ranked the team's special teams No. 6 in the NFL. S Michael Thomas was named PFF's Special Teamer of the Year and led the Dolphins with 11 coverage tackles.

Miami ranked seventh in Gosselin's rankings in 2016, led the league in opponent gross punting average (41.8) and tied for the NFL lead with four blocked kicks. Andrew Franks made his first two career game-winning field goals and drilled an important 55-yarder at Buffalo (Dec. 24) as the field goal unit was rushing onto the field to tie the score and send the contest to overtime. The eventual Dolphins win solidified the team's first playoff berth since 2008. Grant and KR Kenyan Drake each had touchdown returns, becoming the second Dolphins rookie tandem and fourth NFL rookie duo to return a punt and kickoff for a touchdown in the same season. Thomas tied for the NFL lead in special teams tackles (19, including a league-best 16 solo). Walt Aikens scored the first two-point defensive conversion in team history after he returned a blocked PAT for two points. The team finished in the top ten in several additional special teams units including opponents starting field position following a kickoff (tenth/24.4 yard line), own starting field position following a kickoff (eighth/25.3 yard line) and opponent net punting average (third/37.4 yards per punt).

In 2015, WR Jarvis Landry earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his Week One performance, when he returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown. Landry ranked fourth in the NFL with 356 punt return yards. Matt Darr posted the fourth-best gross punting average (47.6) in team history and earned NFL All-Rookie team honors as his punting average was third in the league. Franks was 13-for-16 in field goal attempts as a rookie. The Dolphins ranked in the top 10 in five special teams categories.

In 2014, Rizzi guided a special teams unit that set the team record with three blocked punts. They also added two blocked field goals, giving Miami five blocked kicks, the most since the team blocked seven in 1977. Explosive plays were not limited to the block units as Landry won October AFC Special Teams Player of the Month when he returned five kickoffs for 178 yards (35.6 avg.), with a long of 54. The 35.6 average kickoff return was the second-highest in the NFL in October and the highest October average in franchise history. Landry finished the season with a 28.1 kick return average, the fourth-highest in the NFL and tops among rookies.

In 2013, for the third-straight season, Dolphins special teams were rated among the top eight units in the NFL based on Gosselin's annual rankings. Miami was one of three teams to remain in the top 10 (along with Baltimore and Seattle) in both the 2013 and 2012 rankings. Additionally, from 2011-13, only Miami and Seattle were ranked in the top 10. Rizzi's units were highlighted by the play of P Brandon Fields, who earned his first Pro Bowl berth. Fields ranked second in the NFL in gross punting average (48.8), second in net average (42.4, which was eighth-best in NFL history at the time), tied for fourth with 33 punts inside the 20-yard line and also recorded the third-longest punt (74 yards) during the season as he was selected to the Pro Bowl.

The 2012 campaign was built off a strong 2011 season for Dolphins special teams. Gosselin ranked Miami as the NFL's fourth-best special teams unit, making the Dolphins the only team in the NFL to rank in the top five in both 2012 and 2011, following a second place finish in 2011. Fields continued to establish himself as one of the most productive punters in NFL history, leading the league with a 50.2 average, while moving into first place in team history for highest career punting average (46.4), highest-career net punting average (38.7) and second place in NFL history for highest-career punting average (46.4). Marcus Thigpen became the first player in team history to return a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in the same season. Thigpen also stood alone as the only player in the NFL to rank in the top five in kickoff return average (27.4) and punt return average (12.2). Additionally, Miami became the first NFL team in the last 20 years to block a field goal, block a punt and recover their own onside kick in the same game.

After Rizzi took over the special teams in Week Five of the 2010 season, the Dolphins improved in almost every major statistical special teams category, including net and gross punting average, punt and kickoff return average, average drive start and opponent's gross and net punting average. He led an impressive 2011 campaign by the Dolphins special teams. The Dolphins showed the biggest improvement of any NFL special teams unit from 2010 to 2011 according to Gosselin's annual report. The improvement saw the Dolphins jump from their 2010 ranking of 24th in the NFL to second in 2011. The 22-place advancement was aided by K Dan Carpenter's 13-of-16 in field goals from 40 yards and beyond and Fields' net punting average of 41.1 yards.

Rizzi joined the Dolphins with four years of experience as a college head coach, including 2008 at the University of Rhode Island. Prior to taking over the program at URI, Rizzi was an assistant at Rutgers for the previous six seasons (2002-07), where he headed up the Scarlet Knights' special teams units. He also tutored the team's running backs his first three years and the linebackers his final three. In addition, he held the title of assistant head coach from 2004-06 and associate head coach in 2007. In Rizzi's six years at Rutgers, he coached three players who earned first-team All-Big East honors in special teams including kick returner Nate Jones (2002), kick/punt returner Willie Foster (2005) and punter Joe Radigan (2006). Jones also was named the conference's co-Special Teams Player of the Year in 2002 while Foster was the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year in 2005.

Before his Rutgers stint, Rizzi was head coach at the University of New Haven, where he guided the Chargers to a three-year record of 15-14 from 1999-2001. He was the special teams and linebackers coach at Northeastern University in 1998. He coached at New Haven from 1994-97, where he was defensive coordinator in his final year, after overseeing the special teams and defensive line his first three. Rizzi began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Colgate in 1993.

Rizzi played tight end at Rhode Island, where he first walked on in 1988. He went on to tally 160 receptions for 2,426 yards (15.2 avg.) and 15 touchdowns in his collegiate career and was a consensus All-American in 1992. He was signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles prior to beginning his coaching career.

A native of Hillsdale, N.J. and graduate of Bergen Catholic High School, Rizzi earned a degree in speech communications from URI in 1992. In 2013, he was inducted into the Bergen Catholic Hall of Fame. A two-sport high school star, he concluded his prep football career with 69 receptions, a school record which stood for 22 years, also excelling as an All-League outfielder for the baseball team.

He and his wife, Tracey, have two daughters, Mackenzie and Alexandra, and three sons, Christian, Casey and Cameron.

PLAYING CAREER: Rhode Island, 1989-92.

COACHING CAREER: Colgate, 1993; New Haven, 1994-97; Northeastern, 1998; New Haven (Head Coach), 1999-2001; Rutgers, 2002-07; Rhode Island (Head Coach),

2008; Miami Dolphins, 2009-18; New Orleans Saints, 2019-.