The New Orleans Saints aggressively seek a new defensive coordinator after Kellen Moore was appointed head coach. San Francisco 49ers’ associate head coach Brandon Staley has expressed interest in this post. If anything, Staley is a strong candidate to enhance the Saints’ ways in which they attack defensively from his past with Moore with the Los Angeles Chargers and his usage in that capacity for the Los Angeles Rams in 2020.

Background on the Saints’ Defensive Coordinator Vacancy

With Kellen Moore being promoted to head coach following the February 11, 2025 ascension, there is an empty defense coordinator, Stanley Lamour, bowl’s hand on the Saints New Orleans. Because of Moore’s offensive skill, a capable defensive coordinator is necessary to keep the staff in check. This function is vital for maintaining a team’s competitive edge through development of defensive strategies, directing the development of players and ensuring harmonic cooperation of offensive and defensive units.

Brandon Staley’s Coaching Journey

After he began coaching in collegiate football, Brandon Staley worked at John Carroll, Northern Illinois, and Hutchinson CC. After that, he worked with the Broncos and Rams before coming to the NFL as outside linebacker coach with the Bears. He worked as assistant head coach for the 49ers in 2024, having previously been the head coach of the Chargers (2021–2023).

Success with the Los Angeles Rams

In 2020, Brandon Staley became the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. With his guidance the Rams defense was apparently a success, first in points allowed per game (18.6) and total yards allowed per game (281.9) in the NFL. Gained third in throwing yards allowed per game (190.7), lead in running yards per game (91.3). Second highest number of sacks recorded that season from the defense was 53.

Head Coaching Tenure with the Los Angeles Chargers

From 2021 to 2023, Brandon staley served as the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers with 24-27 regular season record. His debut season was cut short as the club missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record, and the club came in for criticism of calculated moves in major situations. Having a better record of 10-7 and a playoff berth, the 2022 season was markedly improved; however, the Chargers lost a historic 31-30 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card round after leading 27-0. After going 5-9 and then seeing his team drop an NFL-worst 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023, Brandon Staley was fired from his gig.

Role with the San Francisco 49ers

Once joining the San Francisco 49ers as assistant head coach/defense in March of 2024, Brandon Staley employed his vast knowledge of the NFL to assist head coach Kyle Shanahan. As part of this role, Brandon Staley would go to the defensive coaches, including defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, to help with defensive game planning and player development. The success in improving the defensive plans of the club and overall general performance all through the season were due to his strategic analysis and leadership.

Saints’ Defensive Performance in Recent Seasons

The Saints were 19th in the league with its defense, yielding 23.4 points per game in 2024. A franchise worst 5.4 yards per rush allowed to opponents on the ground is their main bug. Still more performance suffered as a result of lack of pass rush, and depth. A poor 5–12 season was explained by important defensive flaws. The crisis offers an opportunity to increase defensive effectiveness in general, player development, and plan quality under new leadership.

Kellen Moore’s Vision for the Saints

Kellen Moore is known for his creative offensive play calling, running play tempo, motion, and general flexibility in his offensive play calling. He recently was hired as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. For him to spearhead the attack, a capable defensive coordinator needs to be bought in order to handle the defense. The complementary leadership goes a long way in reaching this balanced approach to team leadership as Moore stays focused on offensive methods and the defensive coordinator takes control of defensive game planning and defensive development.

Staley’s Defensive Philosophy and Style

Brandon Staley’s defense philosophy is one of 3-4 fronts used in concert with strong offensive lines for plenty of adaptability and unpredictability. The Saints’ defensive makeup is such that Demario Davis is at the center of the linebacker group, and the other team’s margins are played by players like Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson. The fact is, Brandon Staley has shown an ability to change the defensive fronts and placement to ensure the Saints’ pass rush and run defense will become stronger for past weaknesses and take advantage of the defensive lineups present capability.

Reactions from Analysts and Fans

Many believe the Saints would do well to have Brandon Staley, past performance managing the Rams’ top ranked defense in 2020 and current chemistry with head coach Kellen Moore, as defensive coordinator. But some of his worries stem from his head coaching stint with the Chargers, in which strategic errors and defensive miscues were noted. Some respect his defensive expertise while others are reluctant to grant him credit for his time with the Rams; fan opinions are divided over his reliance on this fantastic pair of players throughout his time with the club. The Southampton defender has cautious hope of the Saints should he concentrate on organising the defence.

Brandon Staley will have the opportunity to rewrite the Saints’ defense with his strategic mind and aggressive play-calling if he is hired. Change in plans and employing the best use of player strengths, his flexibility could help bring much needed enhancement. With the proper tweaks, he could become a commanding force as a Saint under Kellen Moore direction and if he does, the Saints’ defense will be a feared one.