Sources: Saints plan to hire 49ers’ Kubiak as OC

Last updated: 2024/02/03 at 4:06 AM

BigP Published February 3, 2024

Katherine Terrell, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 2, 2024, 03:21 PM ET
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NEW ORLEANS — The Saints are planning to make 49ers passing game specialist Klint Kubiak their new offensive coordinator, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday.

The Niners play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, and a deal cannot be finalized before that date.

The Saints have been looking for an offensive coordinator since moving on from longtime coordinator Pete Carmichael earlier this month. Carmichael is expected to join former Saints coach Sean Payton as an assistant with the Denver Broncos.

Although the Saints finished 11th in passing offense this season, they struggled to score in the red zone at times under quarterback Derek Carr. They elected to replace Carmichael and several other offensive assistants after missing the playoffs for the third straight season.

Kubiak is one of a number of coaches the Saints looked at for the vacant coordinator role. They also showed interest in former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, Los Angeles Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Robinson, Baltimore Ravens wide receivers coach Greg Lewis, Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson, former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher, who was promoted to their coordinator role. Saints quarterback coach Ronald Curry was also a candidate.

Kubiak, 36, the son of former NFL coach Gary Kubiak, has been with the Niners since March and prior to that was on his second stint with the Broncos as their passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022.

Kubiak began his career as a Broncos offensive assistant under his father in 2016. He was promoted to offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021. They finished 12th in total offense and 14th in scoring offense, but Kubiak did not stay on the staff after coach Mike Zimmer was fired prior to the 2022 season.

The Niners finished the 2023 regular season as the fourth-ranked passing offense in the NFL. They were second in the league with 33 passing touchdowns in Brock Purdy‘s first full season as a starter.

The Saints still don’t have a wide receivers coach or running backs coach.