Mickey Loomis: Saints’ coach search took longer than expected because Eagles kept winning

It had been expected for weeks that Kellen Moore would go from Eagles offensive coordinator to Saints head coach as soon as the Eagles’ season came to an end. But it couldn’t become official until the Eagles’ season ended. And the Eagles’ season didn’t end until they won Super Bowl LIX.

Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis acknowledged that it’s both a good thing to see your future head coach succeed at the highest level, and a challenge to have to wait to officially hire your coach because he has a Super Bowl to coach.

“This was a comprehensive process,” Loomis said. “It took longer than we anticipated, simply because the Eagles kept winning, and that delayed our opportunity to make an informed decision. We appreciate their patience and cooperation with us during the process and we certainly congratulate the Philadelphia Eagles and Kellen on winning the Super Bowl right here in New Orleans.”

Loomis said the Eagles thoroughly vetted several coaches before settling on Moore.

“We had a number of excellent candidates for the job, and I believe every one of the finalists were qualified and will be head coaches in the future, and I want to thank them for their interest, their efforts and their patience throughout this process,” Loomis said. “Ultimately, we determined that Kellen is the best fit for our team, and his experience and success as a player, as a position coach, and as an offensive coordinator have prepared him well for this opportunity. And that was really evident in our interviews and our discussions.”

There’s been plenty of talk that the Saints’ salary cap situation has hamstrung them, potentially for years to come. But Loomis insists that the future is bright in New Orleans.

“It’s very easy to get excited about the direction that he and his staff are going to take our team,” Loomis said.