It is quite ironic that Kellen Moore ended up getting a head coaching job this cycle and Mike McCarthy did not. After a patently absurd contract demand resulted in the Dallas Cowboys moving in a different direction, McCarthy was a finalist for the Bears' vacancy. That ultimately went to Ben Johnson, which left the Saints as McCarthy's only fallback option.
New Orleans quickly zeroed in on Moore after the Eagles' historic offensive output in the NFC Championship Game and the hire became official shortly after Philadelphia won Super Bowl 59 in blowout fashion.
It is worth noting that McCarthy pulled himself out of consideration for the Saints' job before ever interviewing, though the NFC South brigade clearly preferred Moore.
Being that Moore was a candidate for the Cowboys' head coaching gig, fans will closely monitor how Moore fares in the Big Easy after Dallas hired Brian Schottenheimer. Like Schottenheimer, a lot of Moore's success as a first-time head coach will hinge on the staff he puts together.
One of Moore's first notable hires was an obvious one.
Saints head coach Kellen Moore wastes no time hiring former Cowboys assistant
The Saints have hired Chase Haslett as their tight ends coach, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Haslett and Moore coached together on the Cowboys for three seasons from 2020 to 2022 before Moore was let go so McCarthy could assume play-calling.
The #Saints have agreed to terms with Chase Haslett to be their tight ends coach, source says. The former #Cowboys assistant reunites with Kellen Moore and heads to New Orleans, where his father Jim was head coach from 2000-05. pic.twitter.com/vDWQxlrono
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 14, 2025
Haslett started in Dallas as the offensive quality control coach after three seasons in the college ranks. He was promoted to assistant tight ends coach in 2023, working alongside the great Lunda Wells to groom Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Peyton Hendershot.
RELATED: Kellen Moore could bring former Cowboys head coach to New Orleans after Saints hire
Haslett worked his way up to Cowboys' passing game coordinator this past season. That didn't go according to plan as Dak Prescott had arguably the worst season of his career. It's hard to put too much of that on Haslett, though, given McCarthy's overall influence on the offense.
Along with the entire coaching staff, Haslett's contract expired after the season and he was not among the select few assistants that Schottenheimer brought back.
This is quite a gamble by Moore considering Haslett has never presided over a position group in a full-time capacity. However, it should pull on the heartstrings of Saints fans.
Haslett's father, Jim Haslett, was New Orleans' head coach for six years spanning 2000 to 2005. Haslett led the Saints to its first-ever playoff win in his first year on the job. He is remembered fondly in the Big Easy.
Tight ends have been a crucial part of Moore's offense through his time as a play-caller. Between Jason Witten, Dalton Schultz, Gerald Everett and Dallas Goedert, Moore's top tight ends typically generate between 70-90 targets per season.
Moore is placing a lot of trust in his former colleague.