Brandon Staley is in his second season as defensive coordinator for the Saints in 2026. A 20-year coaching veteran, including the last nine in the NFL and three seasons as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, Staley oversaw a Saints unit that made great strides in his first season with New Orleans.
In 2025, New Orleans finished the season ranked ninth in opponent net yards per game (299.8), fourth in opponent net passing yards per game (179.2), fifth in forced fumbles (11), sixth in opponent rushing yards per play (3.97) and tenth in opponent red zone touchdown percentage (53.2). The club did not allow a 300-yard passer. The unit was especially stout on third down, ranking third in the NFL in opponent third down conversion rate (34.3). The 2025 Saints were one of eight teams that finished in the league's top-12 units in EPA (Expected Points Added) against both the run and the pass, including second against the rush.
With edge defenders Cameron Jordan (10.5) and Chase Young (career-high 10.0) each reaching double-digit sacks, the Saints were one of only three teams to have two defenders with at least ten takedowns. LB Demario Davis led the team with 143 tackles and two forced fumbles. CBs Alontae Taylor, whose seven stops for a loss were tied for third in the NFL at the position, and Kool-Aid McKinstry, who led the team with his first three career interceptions and was tied for sixth in the league with 17 pass breakups, enjoyed breakout campaigns.
Staley and the defensive backfield coaching staff also successfully integrated a pair of promising rookies into the lineup. CB Quincy Riley was named to the CBS Sports and ESPN.com All-Rookie teams after playing in all 17 games (five starts) and totaling 34 tackles, ten passes defensed (tied for fourth in the NFL among rookies), one interception and one forced fumble. S Jonas Sanker entered the starting lineup in Week Two and led the secondary with 78 stops and ranked second among rookie safeties with three takeaways, tied for first on the team, earning ESPN.com All-Pro honors.
Staley arrived in New Orleans after serving as assistant coach/defense of the San Francisco 49ers in 2024. Working with multiple position groups, as well as aiding 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco defense finished the season eighth in the NFL in opponent net yards per game (317.4) and fifth against the pass (192.8 ypg.). DL Nick Bosa was selected to the Pro Bowl after recording nine sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. ILB Fred Warner was selected to the Pro Bowl, AP All-Pro and PFWA All-NFL, as he registered 131 tackles (76 solo), two interceptions returned for 70 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown return and four forced fumbles. Saints CB Isaac Yiadom led the team with a career-high three takeaways.
During his tenure as Chargers head coach, Staley led Los Angeles to a 24-24 record (.500) and guided the franchise to its first postseason appearance since the 2018 season. In his final season with the Chargers (2023), where Saints Head Coach Kellen Moore served as his offensive coordinator, Staley helped QB Justin Herbert continue one of the best starts to a career in NFL history, with no quarterback having more completions or passing yards over the first four seasons of their career than Herbert. Staley also saw WR Keenan Allen and LB Khalil Mack put together career seasons with Pro Bowl honors. Allen registered a career-high and team-record 108 receptions, while Mack tallied a career-high 17.0 sacks, tying the single-season franchise mark. Under Staley, the Chargers defensive unit registered 48.0 sacks in 2023, which was tied for the seventh-most in the NFL.
In 2022, Staley guided the Chargers to a 10-7 regular season record and the first postseason appearance for the franchise since 2018. Under his guidance, the Chargers offense finished the 2022 season with the third-ranked passing offense (269.6 yards per game) and the ninth-ranked total offense (359.3 yards per game), while the defensive unit finished with the seventh-ranked passing defense (200.4 yards per game). Staley also helped RB Austin Ekeler set single-season career highs in yards from scrimmage (1,637), rushing touchdowns, rushing yards (915) and receptions (107). His 18 total touchdowns led the NFL for the second-consecutive season while his 107 catches led all running backs. Staley's defensive unit featured two Pro Bowl selections in S Derwin James Jr. and Mack, who helped the Chargers finish the final five weeks of the regular season with the third-ranked total defense (284.8 yards per game).
In his first season at the helm in 2021, Staley led the Chargers to a 9-8 record, their best mark since 2018. He helped the Chargers offense set single-season franchise records for a career-high 5,014 yards and 443 completions, the second-most in his career. Herbert, along with Allen, OL Corey Linsley and OL Rashawn Slater earned Pro Bowl honors under Staley's guidance. Defensively, Staley's unit finished with the fourth down defense in the NFL, holding opponents to a 31.8% success rate, and also finished with the third-most forced fumbles (21). DL Joey Bosa registered 10.5 sacks, marking the fourth time that he has registered 10.0-or-more sacks in a season, while James totaled 118 tackles, two interceptions, 2.0 sacks and three forced fumbles. Bosa and James were each named to the 2022 Pro Bowl, giving Staley six Pro Bowl selections in his first season as head coach.
Prior to joining the Chargers, Staley spent the 2020 season as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. With Staley at the defensive helm, the Rams led the NFL in total defense (281.9 net yards per game), passing defense (190.7 net yards per game) and scoring defense (18.5 points per game), while finishing with the third-best rushing defense (91.3 yards per game). The 2020 Rams had the third-best defensive EPA by a team since the 2000 season (195.77-Trumedia/The 33rd Team). Led by DL Aaron Donald, who Staley helped earn AP first-team All-Pro, his seventh career Pro Bowl selection and his third NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, the Rams finished the season with 53.0 sacks, the second-most in the NFL. Donald finished the year with 13.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. In addition to Donald, Staley helped CB Jalen Ramsey earn AP first-team All-Pro and his fourth-consecutive Pro Bowl selection after he registered 44 tackles, one interception and nine pass breakups.
Staley went to the Rams after spending three seasons on Vic Fangio's coaching staff with the Denver Broncos (2019) and Chicago Bears (2017-18) as outside linebackers coach. He worked closely with LB Von Miller, helping him earn the eighth Pro Bowl selection of his career after he registered 46 tackles, 8.0 sacks and two pass breakups. During his time with Chicago, Staley worked with a defense that held opposing offenses to only 80.0 rushing yards per game in 2018, the best mark in the NFL. That defense was led by Mack, who Staley helped earn AP first-team All-Pro honors and the fourth-consecutive Pro Bowl selection of his career. In his first year with the Bears, Staley helped the Bears hold opposing offenses to 319.1 yards per game, tenth in the NFL.
Before becoming an NFL coach, Staley spent 11 seasons coaching at the collegiate level. He spent three seasons (2013, '15-16) as the defensive coordinator/secondary coach at John Carroll and the 2014 campaign as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at James Madison. In 2016, Staley earned National Coordinator of the Year honors for Division III to rank third in total defense (218.0 ypg.) and fourth in scoring defense (12.6 points per game).
Staley began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northern Illinois University (2006-08) before joining the University of St. Thomas (2009), where he coached the defensive line and special teams. His first coordinator job came at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College where he spent two seasons (2010-11). He also served as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee in 2012.
A native of Perry, Ohio, Staley played collegiately as a quarterback at the University of Dayton for four seasons (2001-04) before finishing his career at Division II Mercyhurst College in 2005. He and his wife, Amy, have three sons, Colin, Will and Grant.
PLAYING CAREER: Dayton, 2001-04; Mercyhurst College, 2005.
COACHING CAREER: Northern Illinois, 2006-08; University of St. Thomas, 2009; Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, 2010-11; Tennessee, 2012; John Carroll, 2013, 2015-16; James Madison, 2014; Chicago Bears, 2017-18; Denver Broncos, 2019; Los Angeles Rams, 2020; Los Angeles Chargers (Head Coach), 2021-23; San Francisco 49ers, 2024; New Orleans Saints, 2025-.
