What happens next if the New Orleans Saints fire head coach Kellen Moore? It's a wild question to ask after there was so much optimism to start Moore's second season, and the fact that we're asking this at all just a year and a half into his tenure is concerning. But things have only gotten worse as pressure mounts and expectations settle in. This team was supposed to be competitive in Year 2. Instead, Moore is coaching and talking like he doesn't have answers for the problems in front of him. And with Saints owner Gayle Benson taking a warning shot at Moore, general manager Mickey Loomis, and everyone else in the organization after they stumbled into a 1-4 start, even the sophomore head coach is on the hot seat.
It isn't enough to move on (if
that's the route Benson chooses to take at some point). There needs to be a plan to find a replacement. With that in mind, here are ten coaches to keep an eye on if Moore continues to field a losing team.
Mike Tomlin
Tomlin is the biggest name on the market -- if anyone can convince him to come back to coaching. He never finished under .500 in 19 years with the Steelers. If you want an institutional culture-setter, he's your guy. A complicating factor? Even if Tomlin wanted the job, the Steelers own his contract, so the Saints would have to trade for him. Expect similar compensation to what they got for Sean Payton (the Denver Broncos sent a first-round pick and swapped their second rounder for a third).
Brian Flores
Flores has put himself on the map with the Minnesota Vikings, and he may have more suitors than Tomlin since a new team wouldn't have to trade for him. He's further developed the aggressive, blitz-heavy defense that became his calling card with the Miami Dolphins all while holding the NFL's feet to the fire in a racial discrimination lawsuit. That he found ways to win while being actively sabotaged by team ownership says a lot about him. He also interviewed with the Saints back in 2022 and should still be on their radar after embarrassing their offense last Sunday.
Sean McDermott
Don't turn your nose up at McDermott; the 52-year old won nearly twice as many games as he lost in nine years with the Buffalo Bills (going 98-50 in the regular season) and helped guide Josh Allen's development from a high-risk draft prospect to a league MVP candidate. The Saints know him well after competing against him in his Carolina Panthers days (he was the NFC South rivals' defensive coordinator from 2011 to 2016). He might be the best choice as a defensive-minded head coach to pair with a hotshot offensive coordinator.
Declan Doyle
If you still believe in the young play caller archetype, Doyle is the trendy pick. Unlike Moore, he's demonstrated a knack for game management and adjusting on the fly -- just look at what he accomplished last Sunday night without his starting quarterback or center, especially in overtime. He orchestrated a 14-play, 68-yard drive that chewed up more than seven minutes in the extra period to help seal a win in a very difficult situation. There's obvious risk involved in rolling the dice on an inexperienced coach (Moore's tenure so far is proof of it), but Doyle looks like he's built to lead a team. He also came up as an assistant on Payton's staff with the Saints.
Zach Strief
Strief feels like a classic Mickey Loomis choice in the same way Dennis Allen was. He's a throwback to the team's better days, he's someone the organization has a lot of love for, and he's someone Payton has continued to elevate. He may not call plays for the Denver Broncos but Strief does hold titles as assistant head coach and offensive run game coordinator. If he can manage a game and put the right people in position to work the headset on offense and defense, maybe he can find success like Dan Campbell and John Harbaugh have.
Other names to know
- Klay Kubiak. Klint Kubiak's younger brother has worked under San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan since 2021 and is the latest assistant to start drawing attention in his orbit. He's largely an unknown quantity, but his name keeps popping up in lists like this one.
- Mike Kafka. Kafka made it through the second round of interviews before the Saints hired Moore, and he's since moved on to join the Detroit Lions as their passing game coordinator. He's been coaching in the NFL since 2017 and was credited with helping Patrick Mahomes develop early in his career. Maybe he could be a good influence on Tyler Shough.
- Anthony Weaver. Weaver was a highly-regarded member of John Harbaugh's staff before he ran the Miami Dolphins defense the last two years, but he chose to return to Baltimore and team up with new head coach Jesse Minter. He's held different roles in the NFL since 2012, all on defense, and would need to find a good play caller to run the offense. The Saints also interviewed him twice in their last head coach search.
- Doug Pederson. Pederson is closer to the Payton-and-Tomlin mold than a lot of other coaches on this list (he's 58, and he's won a Super Bowl) but his 64-66-1 record is disquieting. So is the lack of attention he's received in hiring cycles after the Jacksonville Jaguars regressed on his watch. The Saints have interviewed him before so he's obviously been on their radar.
- Brian Daboll. Did you know Daboll was one of the first interviews the Saints sought out after Payton stepped down? The New York Giants moved quickly (too quickly, maybe) to hire him so he never met with New Orleans, and his 20-40-1 record with the Giants is a turnoff. So are the rumors about micromanagement and a toxic workplace. He has developed quarterbacks like Josh Allen and Daniel Jones, and he may have learned from some mistakes. But the Tennessee Titans offense has stagnated since he was hired so he deserves a lot of scrutiny.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 10 head coach candidates to watch if the Saints fire Kellen Moore
