Kellen Moore prepared to call shots for New Orleans Saints as 19th coach in franchise history

'Our No. 1 goal is to create an environment that allows every player and coaching staff member to be their best'

Feb 13, 2025 at 03:44 PM

John DeShazier

Senior Writer

The New Orleans Saints introduced Kellen Moore as the 19th head coach in franchise history during a press conference at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on Thursday, February 13, 2025.

First and foremost, Kellen Moore wanted to be a Prosser (Wash.) High Mustang.

Growing up and watching his father, Tom, coach Prosser to victory led Kellen to want in on the fun and he crushed when his time came, calling his own plays as a quarterback in his final two seasons for a program that won four state titles and 21 league titles overall.

Presently, at 36 years old (37 when the next NFL season begins), Moore still will be calling his own plays except now, he'll be doing so as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

Moore and his family formally were introduced in New Orleans on Thursday during an introductory news conference at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center.

The coordinator who helped shape the dynamic offense for the Super Bowl LIX-winning Philadelphia Eagles became the 19^th head coach in Saints franchise history, tasked with changing the fortunes of a program that has missed the playoffs each of the last four years.

"As we went through this interview process, I feel very fortunate that I got to go and interview with multiple teams," Moore said. "It became very clear what made this organization really special, and it was the leadership.

"Each interaction, (I) grew more and more confident in the opportunity this presented. The opportunity to team up with (Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager) Mickey Loomis, one of the winningest general managers in National Football League history, was a perfect opportunity for myself.

"We have an exciting future for New Orleans football. Our No. 1 goal is to create an environment that allows every player and coaching staff member to be their best. This is the greatest team sport in the world for a reason – because it takes everyone. We know that when we do this, when we build a brand of football that we're all appreciative of, it's going to be a smart, fast and physical football team.

"I know that our style (is one) that (Saints fans) will be proud of and that they will rally behind. We have a tremendous advantage in the National Football League because of the phenomenal fan base that we have, because of the home-field advantage that the Caesars Superdome provides."

New Orleans interviewed several candidates during the hiring cycle but Moore ascended to the top as a coach who helped shape productive offenses with Dallas and the Chargers before his one-year stint in Philadelphia.

Moore said offensive adaptability will be paramount, adding it didn't matter if winning a specific game required 50 pass attempts or 50 rush attempts, and it showed in his stops prior to New Orleans.

He said he's a "quarterback guy" but noted that success usually parallels the effectiveness of the offensive and defensive lines.

In four seasons with the Cowboys (2019-22), Dallas ranked second in the NFL in scoring (27.7 points per game) and total offense (391 yards) with an offense that titled heavier toward the passing game. And after a year with the Chargers, Philadelphia's offense ranked seventh in points (27.2) and eighth in yards (367.2) while rushing for a team-record 3,048 yards and 29 touchdowns.

"When we began this coaching search we were all aligned in what we were looking for in an ideal candidate to lead this team," Saints Owner Gayle Benson said. "We wanted a coach that was exceptionally bright, creative and most importantly, a tremendous leader. I believe that is exactly what we have in Kellen Moore."

"This was a comprehensive process," Loomis said. "It took longer than we anticipated, simply because the Eagles kept winning. And that delayed our opportunity to make an informed decision.

"We had a number of excellent candidates for this job. Ultimately, we determined that Kellen is the best fit for our team and his experience and success as a player, as a position coach and as an offensive coordinator have prepared him well for this opportunity.

"We've been meeting for the past 24 hours and it's very easy to get excited about the direction that he and his staff are going to take our team."

Moore assumes the title of youngest head coach in the league but expressed no concern that would be an issue.

"I think everyone respects authenticity, being yourself," he said. "We understand that there's challenges associated with this job. It's a leadership job, first and foremost, and it's very, very important.

"You're going to have to lead in a lot of different ways – you're going to have to challenge people, you're going to have to stress people, you're going to have to put people in challenging situations. And so, we're going to go through that."

Moore will return to Philadelphia to participate in the Super Bowl parade Friday and begin interviewing defensive coordinator candidates in the next few days.

Photos: Kellen Moore introduced as Saints head coach