Kliff Kingsbury will remain the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator despite interest from the New Orleans Saints and other teams during this head-coaching cycle, according to multiple reports. Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy will also not be the Saints’ new head coach this season, according to multiple reports.
Kingsbury staying in Washington isn’t a surprise for the NFC conference runner-ups, but another point of frustration for the lone team with a head-coaching opening. Both the Saints and Chicago Bears requested an interview with Kingsbury at the start of the hiring cycle. While Chicago eventually landed former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, New Orleans’s search continues.
McCarthy and the Cowboys ended negotiations for a contract extension following the season. Speculation had McCarthy potentially in the mix with the Saints and Bears, but he had yet to interview with New Orleans.
Three candidates are known to have interviewed twice with the NFC South organization, including potential front-runner and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
The Saints announced the second meeting with Moore on Tuesday after team officials reportedly flew to Philadelphia for an in-person interview. Reports on Kingsbury and McCarthy’s withdrawals came later in the day. Choosing Moore would mean waiting to finalize a deal until after the Super Bowl.
We completed an in person interview with Kellen Moore for our head coach position last night. pic.twitter.com/fgZ8yQgHC3
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 28, 2025
New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver round out the current list of known candidates.
Newly hired New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady also withdrew from the Saints’ interview process.
Kingsbury, 45, joined Washington last offseason amid a massive organizational overhaul. With the former Arizona Cardinals head coach and rookie quarterback sensation Jayden Daniels spearheading a highly efficient offense, Washington finished with a shocking 12-5 regular-season record and won two playoff road games before falling 55-23 at the Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s NFC Championship game.
Earlier this month, Kingsbury told local reporters that he imagines returning to a head-coaching role “at some point,” but he kept his focus on Washington’s postseason since 2020.
“We’ll see how everything plays out, but I’m very happy here,” said Kingsbury, who remains under contract with the Commanders. “This has been an awesome, awesome place and has really helped me kind of rekindle my love for the sport.” He declined to elaborate when asked about interviews in subsequent weeks.
The fact that Daniels is only entering his second season and the Cardinals are still paying off Kingsbury’s extension alleviated any potential stress about landing one of the seven head-coach openings. Of the seven, New Orleans’s situation — no long-term quarterback, a complicated salary cap and zero playoff appearances since 2020 — wasn’t among the more attractive opportunities.
Kingsbury’s four years with Arizona peaked in 2021 with an 11-6 record and a wild-card berth, which led to a contract extension the following offseason. Ten months later, he was fired after a 4-13 campaign. The following season, he worked as an offensive assistant at USC and reconsidered his coaching approach and style.
Under head coach Dan Quinn, Washington improved its win total by eight games during a magical season for a franchise that last reached the NFC Championship in 1991. After averaging fewer than 20 points per game in the two seasons prior under a different staff, the Commanders, fueled by Daniels’ dual-threat talents and Kingsbury’s up-tempo scheme, ranked fifth in scoring at 28.5. Washington defeated the heavily favored and top-seeded Lions in the divisional round, 45-31.
(Photo: AP Photo / Jerome Miron)
