The New Orleans Saints have begun making changes to their coaching staff, with Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan first reporting that the team has dismissed longtime assistant coach Dan Roushar. Roushar joined the Saints back in 2013 as their running backs coach, and he’s held a variety of titles over the last decade as their offensive line coach, tight ends coach, and run-game coordinator.
But change is necessary after the team’s unspectacular 2022 season, in which they lost double-digit games for the first time since 2005. The Saints had their lowest ranking in points scored (22nd) since 2005, too, and more changes to the offense should be expected. They can’t continue trying to be a Sean Payton cover band. This is, hopefully, the first step towards introducing some fresh perspectives and new influences to their offensive philosophy.
New Orleans’ rushing attack was pedestrian by league standards this past season, ranking 19th in yards (1,982) and 22nd in touchdown runs (12) but 14th in attempts (465, or 27.4 per game). That’s simply not good enough with talented runners like Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill in the building, and an offensive line full of top-50 draft picks. Roushar’s results with the tight ends room was mixed; Juwan Johnson has improved steadily year over year under his tutelage, but Adam Trautman has not developed into more than a replacement-level starter in the Saints offense.
Stay tuned for more staff movement. The Saints will need to hire Roushar’s replacement as tight ends coach, and maybe a new run-game coordinator. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is the longest-tenured coach on the team, having joined Payton’s first staff back in 2006 and holding that title since 2009. We’ll find out soon whether Carmichael has been retained. We already know that head coach Dennis Allen will return for 2023 despite his career .283 record in the NFL.