Meet the New Orleans Saints coaches: Ronald Curry

Curry is set to begin his eighth season with the Saints

Jul 21, 2023 at 10:30 AM

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Ronald Curry, who is in his 18th season overall in the NFL and about to start his eighth as an assistant coach with the Saints, is one of the top offensive minds on New Orleans' coaching staff. After working primarily with the wide receivers his first five seasons with the club, the former college signal-caller will serve as quarterbacks coach for the third season, having added the role of passing game coordinator in 2022.

In 2022, under Curry's collaboration with offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and the offensive staff, the Saints improved from 32nd in the NFL to 16th in net passing yards per game, while he mentored Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston. Winston started the first three games of the season, leading the team to a fourth quarter come from behind victory in the season opener at Atlanta. Dalton set a career-high in completion percentage (66.7%), as he completed 252-of-378 passes for 2,870 yards with 18 touchdowns, only nine interceptions and a 95.2 passer rating. Following the conclusion of the 2022 Saints season, Curry participated in two important events related to development. In January, he served as the offensive coordinator for the Reese's Senior Bowl's National team, where he tutored the all-star game's MVP, Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener, who was later selected by New Orleans in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In May, Curry was the Saints representative for the NFL's Coach Accelerator program at the Spring League Meeting in Minneapolis.

In 2021, Curry's first season tutoring the quarterbacks, Winston posted a 5-2 record as a starter and ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in touchdown passes (14), touchdown percentage (8.7) and passer rating (102.8) through the first eight weeks of the season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in an Oct. 31 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Due to Winston's injury, Curry was forced to prepare four starting signal-callers. Taysom Hill won four of his five starts, while rushing for 374 yards to rank second on the team, with a club-best five rushing touchdowns, passing for four more. Trevor Siemian closed out important divisional victories over Tampa Bay and at the Atlanta Falcons following injuries to Winston and Hill.

In 2020, Curry held the title of wide receivers coach for the second season, focusing on the position group in his first four years in New Orleans. Curry helped guide the position group through injuries to several players including Michael Thomas. Emmanuel Sanders led the Saints wideouts with 61 receptions for 726 yards and five touchdowns. Tre'Quan Smith, under Curry's guidance, worked through injuries to record 34 receptions for 228 yards with four touchdowns, adding two more scoring grabs in the NFC Divisional playoff game.

In 2019, Curry helped Thomas shatter the NFL's receptions record and club receiving yardage records as he posted 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns as he was selected Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Thomas was selected as an AP first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl starter for the second consecutive season.

In 2018, Thomas recorded a NFL-best 125 grabs for 1,405 yards and nine touchdowns. Curry also developed third-round pick Smith, who was named NFL Rookie of the Week after a 10-reception, 157-yard, one touchdown performance in Week 11.

In his three years with the San Francisco 49ers prior to coming to New Orleans, Curry served as wide receivers coach in 2015 and as an offensive assistant working with the wideouts from 2013-14. In 2015, Anquan Boldin recorded at least 65 receptions for the fourth consecutive season and Torrey Smith led the league in yards per catch (20.1). From 2013-14, Boldin became the first player in 49ers history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons with the team and the first 49ers receiver to eclipse the mark in back-to-back seasons since Terrell Owens from 2002-03.

Prior to joining the 49ers staff, Curry spent three years at Mooresville Christian Academy in Mooresville, N.C., as the athletic director and head football coach.

Curry was originally selected in the seventh round (235th overall) by the Oakland Raiders in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played in 76 games with 32 starts and registered 193 receptions for 2,347 yards and 13 touchdowns from 2002-08. In 2006, he was the team's recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award.

While with Oakland, Curry learned the intricacies of the wide receiver position from Pro Football Hall of Famers Fred Biletnikoff (2003-06) and James Lofton (2008).

A four-year starter at quarterback at the University of North Carolina (1998-2001), Curry left Chapel Hill with school records of 4,987 passing yards and 6,236 yards of total offense. In the 2001 Peach Bowl against Auburn, Curry earned Offensive Most Valuable Player honors. The year prior, Curry was voted Tar Heels Offensive MVP as a junior, where he registered 2,325 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns. Curry was a two-sport athlete at UNC, as he was also the starting point guard on the school's 1998-99 and 2000-01 basketball teams.

A Hampton, Va., native, Curry was a high school All-American in football and basketball.

PLAYING CAREER: North Carolina, 1998-2001; Oakland Raiders, 2002-08.

Ronald Curry coaching career

Table inside Article
Team	Position Held	Years
Mooresville Christian Academy (College)	Head coach	2010-12
San Francisco 49ers	Offensive assistant	2013-15
New Orleans Saints	Offensive assistant	2016-17
New Orleans Saints	Wide receivers coach	2018-20
New Orleans Saints	Passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach	2021-Present

Photos: 2023 Saints Rookie Tour Part 2

New Orleans Saints rookies for the upcoming 2023 NFL season tour the city of New Orleans for the second time as they enjoy some down time ahead of Saints Training Camp.

New Orleans Saints