Kellen Moore is the youngest head coach in the NFL, and will be peers with some of the New Orleans Saints veterans. Sure, he’s a young head coach for the first time, but Moore has years of experience with with being a young coach.
“I’ve been in those shoes for a number of years now, being a 31-year-old offensive coordinator, that first time, half the guys in the room I was teammates with two years prior,” Moore reflected during his introductory press conference.
Moore got his start as the Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks coach the year after he retired. He was coaching Dak Prescott months after being his backup. Then, as he pointed out, he was the offensive coordinator the following year.
At least he isn’t leading any of his former teammates in New Orleans. Moore doesn’t shy away from the close proximity in age: “There will be certain players that are more closely associated with my age, and I think there’s tremendous value.”
Younger coaches, especially former players have spoken about their ability to connect to players. The closeness in age can lead to an instant connection because of coming from the same era.
You point to coaches like DeMeco Ryans or Kevin O’Connell, who looks like he has his finger on the pulse of the players. There’s a level of understanding that comes with similarities in age. Hopefully, Moore can have their same level of success as well.