Commanders coordinator Kingsbury reportedly turned down Saints head coaching job

The New Orleans Saints announced Tuesday the hiring of Kellen Moore as their new head coach, less than 48 hours after the offensive coordinator won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. But one Washington Commanders coach was reportedly the first option for the role.

Kliff Kingsbury, who just completed his first season as Washington’s offensive coordinator, was offered the Saints’ job, according to 106.7 The Fan. The former Cardinals coach turned it down, instead opting to return to the Commanders for another season.

Kingsbury’s offense, led by rookie sensation Jayden Daniels, ranked sixth in points and fifth in yards per game this season. Running it back with Daniels after an NFC championship appearance was an enticing enough proposition to keep Kingsbury in Washington.

“We’ll see how everything plays out but I’m very happy here,” Kingsbury told reporters last month when his name was first mentioned in head coaching rumors. “This has been an awesome, awesome place and has really helped me kind of rekindle my love for the sport.”

Kingsbury spent the 2023 season as an assistant at USC after a disappointing 2022 campaign led the Cardinals to fire him.

But Daniels credited Kingsbury with putting the high-powered offense in positions to succeed this season.

“The relationship is obviously the best,” the Rookie of the Year said last month. “We have that open communication where if I don’t like a play, I could go in and tell Kliff like, ’Hey, I don’t like this. I don’t think it’s gonna work. I’m not comfortable with it.’”