Sources: Saints hiring Eagles OC Moore as coach

METAIRIE, La. -- Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has agreed to become coach of the New Orleans Saints, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

The Saints made the move official two days after Moore and the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Moore left New Orleans to fly home with the team but will return to make the move official.

The Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 and quarterback Jalen Hurts was named Super Bowl MVP. Immediately after the Super Bowl win, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni jokingly pleaded with Moore to return to the team for another season.

"Let's run this s--- back Kellen," Sirianni said, laughing.

Moore, 36, decided to move ahead with his quest to become a head coach instead after one season in Philadelphia. The Eagles averaged 27.2 points per game in the regular season (7th in the NFL) and 36.3 points per game in the postseason (1st in the NFL).

The Saints were the last team to fill their head coaching vacancy. Due to NFL rules, they could not make Moore's hiring official until the conclusion of the Super Bowl.

The New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots all conducted coaching searches that concluded before the Super Bowl.

The Saints were willing to wait on Moore after flying to Philadelphia to interview him after the NFC Championship Game two weeks ago.

He was one of four candidates to interview in-person with the Saints, who also conducted multiple interviews with New York Giants coordinator Mike Kafka, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who was promoted to interim coach after Dennis Allen was fired on Nov. 4.

Moore is the first head coach to come from outside the building since Sean Payton stepped away after the 2021 season. The Saints promoted Allen, then the defensive coordinator, to the open position after a quick coaching search that involved a small pool of candidates, each of whom interviewed once.

He is a departure from Allen, who was 50 and a second-time coach when hired. Moore will be one of the youngest head coaches in the league and comes from the offensive side of the ball, similar to the Payton hire in 2006. Payton had three seasons of experience as an offensive coordinator with the New York Giants upon his hiring.

Moore played quarterback for Boise State from 2007-2011 and also in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys.

Moore started his NFL coaching career following his retirement after the 2017 season. He was the Cowboys' quarterbacks coach in 2017 and the offensive coordinator in Dallas from 2019-2022. He was offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 before taking the same position with the Eagles this season.