Saints head coach Kellen Moore ‘speaks the language.’ Players applaud approach
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kellen Moore emphasizes football IQ, film study and simplified offense concepts.
- Fellow Boise Stater Cedrick Wilson thrived under Moore in Dallas, reunites with him.
- Moore's leadership blends calm demeanor, adaptability and strategic play design.
Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series on Kellen Moore’s rise from Boise State football star to NFL head coach.
By the time Cedrick Wilson Jr. arrived at Boise State, it had been half a decade since Kellen Moore elevated the Broncos and captured the nation’s attention with his heroics under center in orange and blue.
Although it was 2016 and quite some time after Moore’s game-winning drive in the 2010 Fiesta Bowl, which followed an iconic fake punt, he still understood what Moore meant to the program.
“He’s the godfather,” Wilson told the Idaho Statesman in June at the New Orleans Saints’ training facility in Metairie, Louisiana.
Wilson, on his third NFL team, had just come in from the oppressive, sticky heat that envelops New Orleans during the summer. The Saints were wrapping up day one of their first mandatory minicamp under Moore, who was hired as the head coach in February.
Wilson came to Boise State as a transfer from Kansas’ Coffeyville Community College, and Moore’s Marlon Brando-like presence with the program was hard to miss. Walking up the main staircase at Boise State’s Bleymaier Football Center, a vivid photo-realistic mosaic of Moore is adorned next to the entrance to the recruiting lounge that overlooks Albertsons Stadium.
Now? Wilson probably knows Moore as well as anyone who’s been through Boise State in the past decade.
The 29-year-old wide receiver played with the Dallas Cowboys from 2019 to 2021, when Moore was the offensive coordinator, and then signed a contract with the Saints about a month after Moore was announced as the new head coach. The pair were on the phone shortly after Moore was hired, with Wilson congratulating his fellow Bronco and discussing how it would “be an honor” to play for him again.
“Just to see him keep growing with the game of football, obviously that we both love, is pretty incredible,” Wilson said. “I feel like he’s getting better and better and gaining more knowledge of the game.”
The Boise State connection no doubt plays a part in the duo’s relationship, but it’s no shock that Wilson wants to play under Moore again. Wilson’s best season came in 2021 with Moore calling plays for the Cowboys: 45 receptions for 602 yards and six touchdowns.
Wilson will have the opportunity to once again play under the “collaborative” offense Moore likes to employ, which aims to get as many players as possible involved.
But it’s not just the type of West Coast offense he runs that draws Wilson and others to Moore — it’s how he coaches and puts players “in the right position” to succeed, the receiver said.
“He’s a great coach,” Wilson said. “He’s one of those guys who he’s not gonna harp on you too crazy, but he’ll tell you straight up when something’s not what it needs to be. But most of the time, he’s really ebb and flow.”
‘Teflon Man’ from Boise State simplifies the game
Before Moore had even thrown a football for Boise State in a competitive game, former head coach Chris Petersen had nailed his young quarterback’s personality.
“He’s like Ronald Reagan — the Teflon Man,” Petersen told the Idaho Statesman in a 2008 interview, just days before Moore threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-7 debut win over Idaho State. “He just goes about his business, and nothing sticks to him, and he just moves on.”
Nearly 17 years later, Petersen has had several opportunities to watch Moore transition from player to coach, attending summer camps and practices, and he sees no difference in his demeanor.
“He’s not going to be this loud, super outgoing personality,” Petersen told the Statesman in a June interview. “He’s going to speak when he needs to say something important. It’s always on point when he speaks, and people are going to listen.”
At Boise State, Moore was known for his intense study of the opposition. He would spend three to four hours every Monday watching every defensive snap of that season for the team the Broncos were set to play. He would also watch 60-90 minutes of opposition film from Tuesday to Thursday.
Moore will call the offensive plays in New Orleans, as he did as OC in Dallas, L.A. and Philadelphia, and as a result, hasn’t let up in his obsessive studying. The only difference this time is that he sets the tone to make sure his players follow suit.
Scott Linehan, a senior offensive assistant at New Orleans, said an area where Moore excels is breaking down complex concepts for his players.
“I like the fact that it’s pretty simple, (Moore) simplified the game,” Wilson said. “He’s pretty much going to do all the work as far as studying the defense, studying what the offense needs to do, and then he’s gonna obviously ask you to do the same, so we can both be on one accord.”
In NFL, Moore seeks players who can ‘process the game’
For as prolific as Moore was at the college level, there was always one thing holding him back somewhat in the NFL: his size.
Standing at 6 feet tall, Moore isn’t exactly short. But compared to the average height of an NFL quarterback at just over 6-foot-3, he is undersized.
Despite it not panning out for Moore in the NFL — he made just two starts for the Cowboys in 2015 — his experiences helped him know that in the pros, you have to consider brains alongside brawn.
“You’re with the best of the best,” Moore said. “Everyone’s really, really talented in the NFL. And so the guys who can see the game and process the game at a really high level give themselves a chance.”
Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley was head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers when he hired Moore as offensive coordinator. Staley said Moore’s football chops, knowledge and coaching attitude come from his dad. Tom Moore began coaching at Prosser High School in 1986, two years before Kellen was born, winning four Washington state championships before stepping down in 2009.
“The guys that are mentally tough, that have the heart, the will, the drive, they’re the ones that succeed,” Staley said. “I think what is important to (Moore) is the heart and the mind of the player, and I think he’s done a great job of getting us off the right way, and that’s been very important to us.”
Moore’s second-ever NFL Draft pick as a head coach was Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough, and Moore believes he has the intelligence to succeed in his offense. Shough, who stands 6-foot-5, completed 62.7% of his passes for Louisville in 2024, throwing 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Moore said he also sees similar attributes in Spencer Rattler, drafted by the Saints out of South Carolina in 2024.
“Adaptability is huge,” Moore said, “and the ability to play in a lot of different styles.”
Shough said in June during the Saints’ minicamp that he was already benefiting from Moore’s intelligence and experience. The 25-year-old quarterback described Moore as “very smart” and said he always has “great input” on plays.
“He speaks the language, he’s been behind the face mask,” Shough told the Statesman. “He knows what’s going on.”
