Joe Lombardi enters his third season with the Saints and has been promoted to quarterbacks coach after having served as an offensive assistant for the last two years. In his previous position, he was heavily involved in the preparation of the quarterbacks and passing attack, responsibilities that will expand in 2009.

Over the last two years Lombardi has worked closely with Pete Carmichael, who has been promoted to offensive coordinator after serving as quarterbacks coach/passing game. While Lombardi helped tutor the passers throughout the last two years, he also stepped in for a brief stint as the running backs coach near the end of 2008.

Lombardi arrived in New Orleans with extensive coaching experience on both sides of the ball, most recently serving as defensive assistant for the Atlanta Falcons in 2006. While in that role, he worked with a defensive line that combined for 25.5 sacks.

He will also bring the background of a former offensive coordinator to his current position. Lombardi joined the Falcons after a stint at Mercyhurst College (Erie, Pa.), where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2002-05. He also served as recruiting coordinator at the school.

Lombardi coached tight ends and running backs for the New York/New Jersey Hitmen of the XFL. In 2000, he tutored the defensive line and served as the strength & conditioning coordinator at Bucknell University.

He coached both the tight ends and tackles at the Virginia Military Institute in 1999, and Lombardi opened his coaching career at the University of Dayton, where he was responsible for the defensive line from 1996-98. The Flyers won 20-straight games during his tenure.

Lombardi – the grandson of legendary coach Vince Lombardi – is a 1994 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, where he earned three letters as a tight end and one in lacrosse. Lombardi and his wife, Molly, have five children: sons Joseph, Thomas and Dominic and daughters Maria and Bernadette.