The New Orleans Saints will not be hiring Mike McCarthy as their next head coach—a decision that was effectively made for them on Tuesday night.
McCarthy has withdrawn from consideration for the Saints’ job and will instead set his sights on the 2026 hiring cycle, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Although he was viewed as a leading candidate, he never interviewed with the team, as their focus remained on other options, including an assistant coach preparing for the Super Bowl.
During the early stages of their coaching search, the Saints conducted a virtual interview with Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. They followed up with a second interview on Monday night, shortly after Moore helped guide the Eagles to a 55-point performance against the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game.
With McCarthy out, Moore is now considered the frontrunner for the job.
“Coming off the Saints’ second interview with Kellen Moore, the Eagles’ OC remains the most likely head coach in New Orleans, but nothing is, or can be, finalized at this point,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported.
Moore, in his first season as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, previously held the same role with the Dallas Cowboys from 2018-2022 before spending a year with the Los Angeles Chargers.
While Moore is seen as the favorite, he is not the only candidate under consideration.
The Saints are still evaluating interim head coach Darren Rizzi, along with Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. Both Weaver and Kafka have had two interviews with the team and have been part of the search process from the beginning.
As of now, the Saints remain the only NFL team without a head coach.
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