It’s official: the New Orleans Saints confirmed five new additions to Dennis Allen’s coaching staff on Wednesday, each of whom had been previously reported. There are still some vacancies to deal with run-game coordinator, a general offensive assistant, and maybe an assistant secondary coach on defense, but the coaching staff is pretty much set.
That’s assuming quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Ronald Curry doesn’t leave for a new opportunity after interviewing for offensive coordinator gigs, or that Sean Payton doesn’t poach anyone else as he rebuilds the Denver Broncos. For now, here are each of the five new assistants settling in with the Saints:
Defensive coordinator Joe Woods
Woods has worked under Allen before on the Raiders, and he’s since found success as a defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns. He’s been at his best when someone else is calling plays and he’s keeping a careful eye out for the kinds of details that got away from New Orleans in 2022.
Defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson
Robertson was also a member of Allen’s Raiders coaching staff back in the day, and he’s widely-respected as an assistant who brings decades of experience and a high level of energy to an organization. He most recently coached the Arizona Cardinals secondary.
Defensive line coach Todd Grantham
Grantham was working for Alabama last year as an analyst, and before that he was the Florida Gators defensive coordinator. But he has a decade of experience coaching defensive linemen in the NFL and that should serve him well as the Saints work to replace Ryan Nielsen and rebuild their defensive front.
Tight ends coach Clancy Barone
Barone is one of the top tight end coaches in the league, having helped a series of talented players reach their Pro Bowl potential over the years. And he and Allen go way back. He was an assistant coach at Texas A&M when Allen was a student-athlete, and they later worked together on a couple of stops around the NFL.
Offensive line assistant coach Kevin Carberry
Carberry coached the Los Angeles Rams offensive line the last two years, but he was ousted this offseason as a bit of a scapegoat when injuries threw his unit into disarray. He’s done well as an assistant coach in past stops with Washington and Dallas, and he spent several years working as Stanford’s run-game coordinator, so he could help out in that area too.
