According to Jeff Duncan, the Saints are interested in adding former Jaguars HC Doug Marrone and Raiders offensive assistant John Morton to their offensive coaching staff.
Duncan notes both coaches worked with the Saints in the past and overlapped with new HC Dennis Allen, so there would be familiarity.
It’s not known in what roles the two would serve but Duncan points out there is expected to be a vacancy at offensive coordinator.
Saints OC Pete Carmichael, who has been in that role for most of former HC Sean Payton‘s tenure, declined a chance to interview for the HC job and requested a lower profile position on the offensive staff, according to Duncan.
Both Marrone and Morton have experience calling plays.
Marrone, 57, was hired by the Bills as their head coach back in 2013 after he had spent a number of years with at Syracuse. After two seasons in Buffalo, Marrone surprisingly voided his contract with the team to become a free agent.
The thinking at the time was that Marrone was going to be hired by the Jets. However, he didn’t secure another head-coaching job and eventually ended up on the Jaguars’ coaching staff as an assistant.
The Jaguars promoted him to interim head coach after they parted ways with Gus Bradley in 2016 and he remained in the position until he was fired after the 2020 season. He joined Alabama as the OL coach for 2021.
As the Jaguars’ head coach, Marrone has compiled a 23-43 (34.8 percent), which includes one playoff appearance and a trip to the AFC Championship game.
Morton, 52, began his NFL coaching career with the Raiders back in 1993. He has worked for a number of teams including the Packers, Raiders, Jaguars, Chargers and 49ers before the Saints hired him as their WRs coach in 2015. After two years in New Orleans, Morton agreed to become the Jets’ offensive coordinator in 2017.
The Jets elected to fire Morton after one season and he later joined the Raiders as a senior offensive assistant.
In 2017, the Jets’ offense ranked No. 28 in total yards, No. 24 in points scored, No. 19 in rushing yards and No. 24 in passing yards under Morton.
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