There we go: the New Orleans Saints have found their way forward at defensive coordinator, filling the void left by Dennis Allen’s promotion to head coach by naming two of his key assistants to the job. Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen and secondary coach Kris Richard will work as co-defensive coordinators in 2022.
The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman first reported that Nielsen has signed a two-year contract in accepting the co-defensive coordinator title, which was confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg who added that Richard was elevated to the same position. The Saints brought in several outside candidates for the job, but ultimately opted to put coaches already on staff into a bigger spot. It continues a theme of maintaining continuity in the post-Sean Payton era.
