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The Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints had a bit of a coaching staff standoff last month.
The Saints considered 2024 special teams coordinator/interim head coach Darren Rizzi for their full-time head coach job. Meanwhile, the Broncos were looking for a new special teams coordinator after firing Ben Kotwica.
Denver planned to hire Rizzi if he did not get the head coach job in New Orleans, creating a waiting game for Sean Payton.
“I texted [Saints GM] Mickey [Loomis] and said, ‘When are you guys hiring your head coach?’ He texted back, ‘When are you guys hiring your special teams coordinator?’" Payton said at the NFL combine last month.
The Saints eventually hired former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their new head coach, clearing the way for Payton to reunite with Rizzi.
"The late Tony Sparano, a good friend of mine who was the head coach of the Dolphins, was I think the first guy to bring him [Rizzi] into our league," Payton recalled. "You had to know Tony. For him to rave about somebody, that may be once every three years. I know how Tony felt about him.
"I forget what year we hired him in New Orleans, but he is a tremendous teacher. He is thorough and yet — with respect to the process — he was a very serious candidate, and I think will be a head coach in our league as well. He was a serious candidate in New Orleans and we had time.”
Payton gave Rizzi a special teams coordinator/assistant head coach position, a deserved title for the accomplished coach. The first order of business for Rizzi and Co. this offseaosn will be finding a new punter.
These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Sean Payton had a funny text exchange with Saints GM Mickey Loomis
Continue reading...
The Saints considered 2024 special teams coordinator/interim head coach Darren Rizzi for their full-time head coach job. Meanwhile, the Broncos were looking for a new special teams coordinator after firing Ben Kotwica.
Denver planned to hire Rizzi if he did not get the head coach job in New Orleans, creating a waiting game for Sean Payton.
“I texted [Saints GM] Mickey [Loomis] and said, ‘When are you guys hiring your head coach?’ He texted back, ‘When are you guys hiring your special teams coordinator?’" Payton said at the NFL combine last month.
The Saints eventually hired former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as their new head coach, clearing the way for Payton to reunite with Rizzi.
"The late Tony Sparano, a good friend of mine who was the head coach of the Dolphins, was I think the first guy to bring him [Rizzi] into our league," Payton recalled. "You had to know Tony. For him to rave about somebody, that may be once every three years. I know how Tony felt about him.
"I forget what year we hired him in New Orleans, but he is a tremendous teacher. He is thorough and yet — with respect to the process — he was a very serious candidate, and I think will be a head coach in our league as well. He was a serious candidate in New Orleans and we had time.”
Payton gave Rizzi a special teams coordinator/assistant head coach position, a deserved title for the accomplished coach. The first order of business for Rizzi and Co. this offseaosn will be finding a new punter.
These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Sean Payton had a funny text exchange with Saints GM Mickey Loomis
Continue reading...
