We can add another name to the list of New Orleans Saints assistant coaches who may be following Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos. Nola.com’s Jeff Duncan reports that offensive assistant Kevin Petry has been offered a role on the Broncos’ coaching staff under Payton, who gave him his start in the NFL with the Saints. Petry is a Louisiana native and LSU graduate, so moving to Denver would be a big change.
Payton is actively filling out his staff from New Orleans’ roster, offering promotions to coaches like Zach Strief, Declan Doyle, and Petry while considering roles for a group of former Saints coaches that includes Dan Roushar, Kris Richard, and Joe Lombardi. Payton made a lot of connections over the years in New Orleans so some departures should be expected.
He also isn’t taking any high-level assistants with him; these are all assistant position coaches and football operations personnel who won’t be hard to replace. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.’s name has not come up, but it’s unlikely the Saints would allow him to leave anyway. General manager Mickey Loomis has already pledged to block any lateral moves and the Saints wouldn’t want to go looking for a new offensive coordinator this late in the hiring cycle. We’ll update this space if Petry and those other assistants accept Payton’s offer.