Two former Saints assistants reunite with Ryan Nielson

Two ex-New Orleans Saints coaches reunited with Ryan Nielson on the Jacksonville Jaguars: Kris Richard and Cory Robinson

Former New Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen was recently hired by the Jacksonville Jaguars to be their new defensive coordinator. And it’s shaping up for a very familiar defensive coaching staff in Jacksonville; Nielsen has been quick to reunite with two former Saints colleagues.

Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 has reported the hiring of Kris Richard by the Jaguars. Richard was most recently the co-defensive coordinator (alongside Nielsen) and secondary coach for the Saints in 2022. Before that he was the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks and defensive passing game coordinator for the Cowboys. He did not coach in 2023.

Nielsen also recently added Cory Robinson to the defensive staff as well. Robinson was mostly recently an analyst for the Tennessee Volunteers, but was a part of the 2021-2022 Saints staff with both Nielsen and Richard where he worked as an assistant defensive backs coach. With speculation swirling that Saints star cornerback Marshon Lattimore could be traded this offseason, the Jaguars suddenly look like a possible suitor given all these coaching connections and their bottom-8 finish in both passing yards allowed and touchdown passes yielded in 2023.

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Report: Jaguars adding Kris Richard, Cory Robinson to defensive staff

The Jaguars’ defensive coaching staff is taking shape.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are adding Kris Richard and Cory Robinson to their defensive coaching staff, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Richard and Robinson were both on the New Orleans Saints’ coaching staff during Ryan Nielsen’s time with the franchise. Nielsen and Richard served as co-defensive coordinators for the Saints in 2022 while Robinson was an assistant defensive backs coach. Earlier this week, the Jaguars hired Nielsen as their new defensive coordinator.

The exact job titles for the two new coaches in Jacksonville hasn’t yet been revealed, although both have primarily worked with defensive backs.

Richard didn’t coach during the 2023 season, but previously spent three seasons as the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator and had a two-year stint as passing game coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys.

Robinson spent the 2023 season as a defensive analyst for the Tennessee  Volunteers. He also previously coached in the collegiate ranks at Maryland, Rutgers, Toledo, and Temple. According to Wilson, he’ll be a cornerbacks coach with the Jaguars, although it’s unclear for now if he’ll be the lead coach for the position or an assistant cornerbacks coach.

The Jaguars finished the 2023 season 26th in passing yards allowed and 25th in passing touchdowns allowed.

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Jaguars reportedly interview former Seahawks DC Kris Richard

Kris Richard most recently served as co-defensive coordinator of the Saints with new Jaguars DC Ryan Nielsen.

The Jacksonville Jaguars interviewed Kris Richard for an unspecified coaching position, according to Aaron Wilson or KPRC2.

Richard, 44, previously spent three seasons as defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks, two years as passing game coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, and most recently spent two seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

During his last stop, Richard served as the Saints’ defensive backs coach in 2021 and co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach in 2022. New Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen split co-defensive coordinator duties with Richard during that 2022 season before leaving to join the Atlanta Falcons.

Richard didn’t coach in 2023 after leaving the Saints earlier in the year.

Given his history as a secondary specialist, Richard would presumably be interviewing to join the Jaguars as a defensive backs coach or passing game coordinator of some sort. Deshea Townsend was fired as Jacksonville’s passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach and Cody Grimm was fired as safeties coach earlier in January.

The Jaguars finished 26th in passing yards allowed during the 2023 season and 25th in passing touchdowns allowed.

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Former Saints co-DC’s Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard could reunite with Jaguars

Former Saints co-defensive coordinators Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard could reunite with the Jaguars:

It’s shaping up for a reunion of New Orleans Saints coaches in Jacksonville — after hiring Ryan Nielsen as their defensive coordinator when he went one-and-done with the Atlanta Falcons, the Jaguars are interviewing one of his former coworkers. KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson reports that the Jaguars interviewed Kris Richard for an undisclosed role on Nielsen’s staff.

Nielsen and Richard worked together under Dennis Allen for two years and served as co-defensive coordinators during the 2022 season; Richard left the Saints in what was characterized as a mutual split, while Nielsen was hired away in a promotion with the Falcons. The Jaguars fired their entire defensive staff after the 2023 campaign, so Richard would be a natural fit working with the secondary.

Richard previously interviewed for the Las Vegas Raiders head coach opening, though that job ultimately went to Antonio Pierce after a strong performance in-season as their interim coach. If Richard and Nielsen do team up together, it’s worth wondering whether any of their former players might join them in Jacksonville as free agents in the spring.

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Saints’ Michael Hodges is a key figure in Patriots DC search

The Patriots interviewed Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges for their DC opening. Even if he doesn’t get the job, they might have a role for him:

The New Orleans Saints could lose yet another assistant to a promotion elsewhere around the league. ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports that linebackers coach Michael Hodges has interviewed for the New England Patriots defensive coordinator opening, along with several other candidates. Head coach Jerod Mayo will likely still call plays defensively, just like Dennis Allen has done, but there’s plenty of room for additions to his staff.

And Hodges is a key figure in the search. An internal option for the job, Patriots defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington, is expected to interview soon — but he’s worked with Hodges before. Here’s what Reiss had to say about the connection:

Some close to the situation say Covington, who attended Mayo’s introduction as coach Wednesday, is well-positioned to elevate to a defensive coordinator role. The interview with Hodges, who was co-defensive coordinator with Covington at Eastern Illinois in 2016, could be a tipoff that it might be headed in that direction.

That suggests there could be room for Hodges in New England even if he doesn’t get the job, possibly working with Covington again as co-defensive coordinators. That strategy didn’t work for the Saints in 2022 with Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard sharing the title, but it’s worked for other teams, and maybe that’s a situation Mayo could navigate more effectively than Allen did. Hodges and Covington doing well together in the past lends credence to the idea.

If Hodges believes this gives him a better path to advancement and calling his own plays than his current role in New Orleans, he owes it to himself to explore it. Former coworkers like Nielsen and Aaron Glenn have found success after leaving the Saints and getting out of Allen’s shadow. We’ll see if anything comes of this interest.

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Raiders interview former Saints co-DC Kris Richard for head coach job

The Raiders interviewed former Saints co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard for their open head coach job:

Here’s a name we hadn’t heard from in a while: Kris Richard. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Las Vegas Raiders interviewed the former New Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach for their head coach opening on Tuesday. Richard was out of the NFL in 2023 after parting ways with the Saints last offseason.

And he wasn’t the only candidate to discuss the opportunity with the Raiders. Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier also interviewed for the opening, but all signs point to owner Mark Davis going with interim head coach Antonio Pierce. So while these interviews were conducted to satisfy the Rooney Rule by considering external minority candidates, it’s possible either Richard or Frazier could still end up on staff.

Richard has interviewed for several head coach openings over the years after successful runs with the Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, and the Saints as a defensive play caller and position coach. We’ll see if anything materializes on this front in the days ahead.

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11 defensive coordinator candidates Giants could consider

The New York Giants are on the hunt for a new defensive coordinator and these are 11 potential candidates they could consider.

Wink Martindale resigned as the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator on Monday after just two seasons with the team. It was a rather unceremonious end that was handled poorly by both sides.

The departure of Martindale now thrusts the Giants into a defensive coordinator search for the second time in three years.

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are expected to get to work immediately but before they do, here’s a look at 11 potential candidates.

Note: Some of these candidates may currently be employed with other teams and would require termination (or resignation) before joining the Giants.

Report: Saints part ways with assistant DBs coach Sterling Moore

The Saints have parted ways with defensive assistant Sterling Moore, hired last year to work with Kris Richard | @crissy_froyd

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The New Orleans Saints have parted ways with assistant defensive backs coach Sterling Moore after this week’s minicamp, as first reported by Nick Underhill of New Orleans Football. NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan confirmed Moore’s departure.

With this, the defensive coaches that remain on the staff include defensive coordinator Joe Woods, senior defensive assistant Peter Giunta, linebackers coach Michael Hodges, pass rush specialist Brian Young, defensive line coach Todd Grantham, secondary coach Marcus Robertson and defensive assistant Adam Gristick.

Moore was initially hired to assist Kris Richard and Cory Robinson last year, both of whom were also let go by the team this offseason. Moore originally started with the Saints as a coaching intern in 2021 as a former NFL secondary member himself, playing seven seasons in the league.

As a player for the Saints, Moore got on board back in 2016 season, appearing in a total of 13 games with 12 starts. During that season, Moore posted 55 tackles, two interceptions, along with a team-leading and career-high 14 passes defended, plus a forced fumble.

A former SMU Mustang at the college level, Moore also had stops in with the New England Patriots (2011-12), Dallas Cowboys (2012-14), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2015) and the Arizona Hotshots in the Alliance of American Football startup league in 2019. We’ll see where his career takes him next.

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Saints passing game coordinator Ronald Curry attending NFL coach accelerator program

New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator Ronald Curry is attending the NFL’s upcoming accelerator program:

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This is a cool opportunity for Ronald Curry. The New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator is one of 40 participants at this year’s NFL Coach Accelerator program, having been nominated as someone with the potential to become a head coach someday. It’s based off of the front office accelerator event that Saints assistant general manager Khai Harley attended in 2022.

Here’s what the NFL said of the program in a public press release:

The Coach Accelerator aims to increase exposure between owners, executives, and diverse coaching talent, providing ample opportunity to develop and build upon their relationships. In a change to the nomination process this year, clubs were able to nominate those from outside of their organization.

The 40 participants this year are attending based on their high potential to be considered for a Head Coach position in the future. Sixteen of the participants will be returning from the May 2022 Accelerator cohort.

In addition to networking, further development of the participants is a critical component of the accelerator, with curated content sessions scheduled that will further engage each participant on the advancement of their executive leadership skills and business acumen.

Curry isn’t the only coach with Saints ties to participate in the event — former Saints defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator Kris Richard is also one of the 40 invitees, though he hasn’t taken a new job after splitting with New Orleans earlier this year.

So this is a good stage for Curry to continue to raise his standing around the league. He’s steadily climbed the ladder in New Orleans after coaching receivers and quarterbacks to continue adding to his responsibilities. If he continues to do well, he shouldn’t be long for New Orleans.

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Ranking Saints’ 15 offseason departures, from least to most significant

Ranking the New Orleans Saints’ 15 offseason departures on the roster and coaching staff, from least to most significant:

The New Orleans Saints have lost a lot this offseason — both in players and members of the coaching staff. Sure, they’ve made plenty of additions, but a ton of continuity has walked out the door the last two years. At the same time, change isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

But this team still has holes to fill. Here’s our take on each of their offseason departures, ranked from least to most significant. The Saints have more work to do in building their roster so it can get where they want to go in 2023: