Former Saints Interim Coach Darren Rizzi Joins the Denver Broncos
The New Orleans Saints are facing a challenging offseason with an expensive and underwhelming roster. They’re banking on new head coach Kellen Moore to bring the offensive success he had as the Philadelphia Eagles’ coordinator to New Orleans.
As Moore assembles his staff, one name that won’t be on it is Darren Rizzi. After serving with the Saints since 2019 and falling short in his bid for the head coaching position, Rizzi is moving on to a new opportunity.
NFL analyst Tom Pelissero announced on X that the Denver Broncos have hired Rizzi as their new special teams coordinator. This move reunites him with Sean Payton, under whom he previously coached in New Orleans for several years.
Rizzi originally joined the Saints in 2019 as their special teams coordinator, later being promoted to assistant head coach in 2022. This past season, he stepped in as the interim head coach following the firing of Dennis Allen.
The Broncos’ previous special teams coordinator and assistant head coach, Mike Westhoff, resigned during the 2023 season, though Denver’s special teams showed notable improvement under his leadership. Now, with Rizzi on board, the transition should be smooth given his existing rapport with Payton.
While Denver still has other coaching vacancies to address, securing Rizzi is a significant move. With an exciting offseason ahead, Broncos fans can look forward to building on their surprising 2024 playoff run.
