With NFL free agency only a week away, teams around the league are putting the final touches on their coaching staff. One former Lions coach is the latest addition to a completely revamped staff. The New Orleans Saints, who brought in Kellen Moore as their new head coach, are hiring Scott Linehan, per Saints insider Nick Underhill.
The Saints are hiring Scott Linehan to their staff, according to a source.
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) March 3, 2025
Linehan has a ton of experience. He was the HC of the Rams. An OC for Minnesota, Miami, Detroit, Dallas. Pass game coordinator for LSU. Most recently worked as an offensive analyst for Montana.
Former Lions OC Scott Linehan Returning to the NFL After Six Years
What Linehan's role will be in New Orleans is currently unknown, but the 61-year-old has a ton of experience in the NFL. This marks a return to the NFL for Linehan, who spent the last five seasons at LSU, Missouri, and Montana in various roles on the offensive side of the ball.
Linehan was previously a head coach with the St. Louis Rams before getting fired four weeks into the 2008 season. He then joined Jim Schwartz's staff in Detroit before the 2009 season. He stayed as the Lions' offensive coordinator for five seasons.
Coaching Matthew Stafford in his first five years in the NFL, Linehan led the Lions to some elite passing offenses during his tenure. The best season came in 2011 when the Lions finished 10-6, made the playoffs, and had a top-five offense both in terms of yards and points. During this stretch, Kellen Moore was signed as an undrafted rookie quarterback, and Linehan had the chance to coach him directly.
Linehan then took over as offensive coordinator for the Cowboys before getting fired following the 2018 season when Dallas finished the year as the 22nd-best offense in the NFL.
The Saints hired Doug Nussmeier as their offensive coordinator earlier in the offseason. Linehan will likely serve under him in some capacity. Linehan's paths also crossed with Nussmeier at one point. When the former was the offensive coordinator and QB coach at the University of Idaho, Nussmeier was the starting quarterback. The two worked together during Linehan's time with the Rams and the Cowboys.
How much this familiarity will prove to be helpful for the Saints remains to be seen, but Linehan certainly has a ton of high-level experience that he can offer to any coaching staff.