Tag: phil galiano

Saints will add a new coach to their staff after promoting Darren Rizzi

Darren Rizzi announced the Saints are bringing in a new assistant coach. With his attention divided, Marwan Maalouf will assist with special teams operations:

New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi announced the team is bringing in a new assistant coach. Marwan Maalouf will assist Phil Galiano in their special teams operations. Rizzi spoke on WWL Radio Monday afternoon to announce the hiring, which came mere hours after his promotion.

Galiano will likely take on many of the duties on special teams coordinating for the Saints, as he has been the assistant coach for them since 2019. However, adding in an additional coach to help out and let Rizzi build out his own staff a little bit is not a bad idea. Rizzi and Maalouf worked together in multiple instances including from 2013 to 2018 with the Miami Dolphins, and 2002 to 2003 at Rutgers.

They are now reunited after a few years away with Rizzi moving on to New Orleans, while Maalouf went on to be the special teams coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 2019 to 2020.

Ultimately, who knows if the Saints keep Rizzi or not after the season, but letting him make additions of his own and give himself a chance to prove himself is definitely a good choice. We will see how the special teams units look with Rizzi taking on a much larger role now at interim head coach.

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Losing Phil Galiano could be a big hit to the Saints special teams units

Losing Phil Galiano would be a big hit to the Saints special teams units. Only one team has allowed fewer return yards since he was hired:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are interviewing Phil Galiano for their open special teams coordinator job on Tuesday — and losing him could be a big hit to the New Orleans Saints kicking units.

Galiano isn’t a big name in New Orleans. He’s worked as the assistant to Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi since they were both hired in 2019, rarely speaking to the media or taking the spotlight. But they have both played a key role in maintaining the Saints’ excellence in the game’s third phase.

We tend to think of special teams as being all about kicking field goals and punting the ball away. But it’s a real team effort. Finding the right players who can get downfield in a hurry and limit returns is critical. And Galiano deserves some credit for helping the Saints outperform the rest of the league in that phase.

Since Rizzi and Galiano arrived in 2019, the Saints are the only team in the NFL to allow fewer than 1,000 punt return yards (998) and 2,500 kick return yards (2,350). Only one team, the Washington Commanders, has given up fewer total return yards with 3,103 to the Saints’ 3,348. The other 30 teams in the NFL have all allowed 3,500 or more.

Here’s how they all stack up:

It’s possible the Buccaneers end up hiring a different candidate for their special teams coordinator opening. At the same time, there’s a chance Galiano could leave for the promotion. If he does exit this isn’t a loss that Saints fans should overlook. Hopefully Rizzi already has an idea of possible replacements should he need to hire a new assistant.

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Bucs to interview Saints assistant Phil Galiano for special teams coordinator job

The Buccaneers will interview Saints assistant Phil Galiano for their special teams coordinator job. He’s been a big part of their success in the game’s third phase:

Another key New Orleans Saints assistant coach could be going to a division rival. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will interview Phil Galiano for their special teams coordinator opening on Tuesday.

This would be a promotion for Galiano, who has worked as the assistant special teams coach to Darren Rizzi the last few years, so the Saints cannot block it. That was the case last year when the Atlanta Falcons hired New Orleans’ defensive line coach and co-coordinator Ryan Nielsen for their defensive coordinator gig (though he’s since joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in the same role).

Galiano, 46, has worked for the Buccaneers before; he was an assistant special teams coach on Greg Schiano in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He’s also held the title of special teams coordinator at the college level with Penn State. The Saints’ kicking units have ranked among the best in the league since he and Rizzi joined the squad in 2019 and his departure would be missed.

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Former Rutgers coach Phil Galiano was named one of the 2024 Senior Bowl coaches

Former Rutgers assistant coach Phil Galiano was named the Special Teams Coordinator on the National Team for the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl. 

On Wednesday, former Rutgers special teams coordinator Phil Galiano was named to the coaching staff for the National Team at the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Galiano is well known to Rutgers football fans, having had three stints with the Scarlet Knights.

Galiano joined the Rutgers staff under head coach Greg Schiano as a defensive graduate assistant in 2003 before being elevated to linebackers coach in 2004. After the 2004 season, he spent the 2005-06 seasons coaching the defensive ends. Under Galiano, the Scarlet Knights’ defensive ends played a major factor in a defense that ranked fourth nationally in 2006.

Galiano returned to the Scarlet Knights in 2010 after leaving the staff for the defensive coordinator and linebackers position at Florida International from 2007-09. When joining Schiano’s staff for a second time, Galinao coached the defensive line (2011) and tight ends (2010). In 2011, the Scarlet Knights fi­nished third in the FBS in forced turnovers (34), eighth in tackles for loss (7.62) and scoring defense (18.31), and 15th in sacks (2.69).

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After the 2011 season, Galinao followed Schinao to Tampa Bay and received his first NFL coaching position as an assistant special teams coach. Galinao coached two seasons with the Buccaneers (2012-13) before returning to Rutgers for his third and final stay (2014-15).

In 2014, Galiano was Rutgers’ director of recruiting and the special teams coordinator/tight ends coach in 2015. Under Galiano, the Scarlet Knights ranked 12th in ESPN’s special teams efficiency ranking, finishing 19th in the FBS in kick return defense (18.75), 13th in punt return average (13.92), and scoring ­five special teams touchdowns in 2015.

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In 2023, Galiano entered his fifth season with the New Orleans Saints, coaching as an assistant special teams coach and scouting for young prospects.

 

Saints special teams coach working on 2024 Senior Bowl staff

New Orleans Saints assistant special teams coach Phil Galiano has been tabbed for the 2024 Senior Bowl staff, working with the National Team:

This is a good opportunity for New Orleans Saints assistant special teams coach Phil Galiano: he has been tabbed for the 2024 Senior Bowl staff, working with the National Team as special teams coordinator.

While this is a big professional development opportunity for Galiano himself, it’s also a great chance for him to get an up-close look at many prospects in the 2024 NFL draft. He’ll be running special teams drills and meetings through a week of practices in Mobile, Ala. and interacting with virtually every player on the National Team roster.

Special teams coordinators work with almost everyone at some point, whether players are tasked with returning kicks, blocking for field goal tries, snapping and holding the ball, covering punts, or kicking themselves. Their insight is valuable.

We know the Saints’ college scouting department puts an emphasis on the Senior Bowl, and Galiano should return with plenty of intel. Last year they added draft picks like Isaiah Foskey, Nick Saldiveri, and Jake Haener as well as undrafted free agents Anthony Johnson and Rejzohn Wright, all of whom participated in the all-star event. Expect them to go back to that well in 2024.

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Tyrann Mathieu suggests Saints assistant for open coaching job at LSU

Tyrann Mathieu recommended New Orleans Saints assistant Phil Galiano for an open special teams coaching job with the LSU Tigers:

This is interesting: John Carroll University named former LSU Tiger special teams coordinator Brian Polian as its new athletic director, opening a void on the football roster that one famous former player wants to fill with a New Orleans Saints coach.

Tyrann Mathieu responded to the news of Polian’s departure by recommending Saints assistant special teams coach Phil Galiano for the opening. Before he was hired by New Orleans back in 2019, Galiano worked as the special teams coordinator at Penn State and Rutgers, where he played a big role in recruiting. One player he helped develop at Penn State was future Saints punter Blake Gillikin.

He’d probably be a good fit in Baton Rouge, though it would open a hole for the Saints to fill on their own roster. Darren Rizzi has plenty of connections around the league as a longtime special teams coordinator with the Miami Dolphins (Galiano previously worked as an intern with him in Miami) so it wouldn’t be difficult to address that if it came to fruition. We’ll see if Galiano is on LSU’s radar.

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