The Denver Broncos are hiring former New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi as their special teams coordinator.

Rizzi stepped in as the interim head coach in New Orleans after the Saints fired Dennis Allen behind a rough start to the 2024 season.  

Allen’s firing came after losing seven straight games in November, leaving the team with a 2-7 record.

With Rizzi filling in, he led the Saints to three more wins before the season ended. They finished 5-12 as the third-placed team in the NFC South.

Although his interim head coaching tenure was not the most glamorous, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced Rizzi’s new hire on Friday afternoon.

The Saints announced earlier this week that they agreed with Kellen Moore to become the 19th coach in franchise history. 

Rizzi joins Sean Payton’s coaching staff after leading Denver to their first playoffs since 2016

A 13-year NFL veteran, Moore played quarterback for six seasons before entering the coaching ranks in 2018. He served as a quarterbacks coach in Dallas before taking offensive coordinator positions with the Cowboys, Chargers, and Eagles. 

‘I am excited to join the New Orleans Saints and deeply appreciate the faith that Mrs. Benson and the entire Saints organization have placed in me,’ Moore said. ‘I look forward to embracing the challenges ahead and am eager to get started. 

‘I would also like to thank the Philadelphia Eagles for an incredible 2024 season. I’m excited to begin this new chapter,’ he continued. 

Rizzi was the assistant special teams coach, special teams coordinator, and associate head coach and special teams coordinator in a stint with the Dolphins that stretched from 2009-2018. 

He now joins Sean Peyton’s staff in Denver as the Broncos look to build off their first playoff appearance since 2016. After wining the Super Bowl against Carolina, Denver fell off the postseason picture each season since. 

This past campaign, they went 10-7 before losing to the Buffalo Bills in a wild card showdown.