Kris Richard originally joined the Saints as secondary coach in 2021 and adds co-defensive coordinator duties to his responsibilities in 2022. Richard has 15 years of NFL playing and coaching experience.
In 2021, Richard helped develop third round draft pick Paulson Adebo, who was the only Saints defender to open all 17 contests in 2021, while tying for the team lead with three interceptions, second among all National Football League rookies. Marshon Lattimore continued his improvement under Richard with a career-high 19 passes defensed, ranked third in the NFL. New Orleans was tied for sixth in the NFL with 18 interceptions, with 16 of them coming from the secondary, with Adebo, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Lattimore and P.J. Williams tied for the team lead with three apiece. In addition to New Orleans finishing fourth in the NFL in scoring defense (19.7 points per game) and seventh in total defense (318.2 net yards per game), the Saints gave up the third-fewest touchdown passes (20).
From 2018-19, Richard served as passing game coordinator/secondary with the Dallas Cowboys, where he oversaw a Cowboys pass defense that improved in several areas, while also playing a key role with several players in the passing game. In 2019, the Cowboys finished in the top ten in opponent third down percentage (2nd-33.3%), pass defense (10th-223.5 yards per game), passing yards per attempt (8th-6.82), passing yards per completion (5th-10.48), touchdown passes (t8th-21) and passing touchdown percentage (9th-3.7), while improving in their opponent points per game total (20.1) to rank 11th. Linebacker Jaylon Smith was selected to his first Pro Bowl. In 2018, his first season in Dallas, the Cowboys defensive unit was seventh in total defense (329.3 yards-per-game), sixth in points-per-game (20.3) and seventh in red zone defense (51% touchdowns). His tutelage also played a role in the growth of Byron Jones, who most back to cornerback from safety where he played most of his early career and earned his first Pro Bowl nod and AP second-team All-Pro honors after limiting opposing receivers to only 53% of targets against him and only two touchdowns on the season. He set a career-best and led the team in passes defensed (15) and allowed only 94 yards after the catch-fifth-fewest in the NFL.
Prior to his arrival in Dallas, Richard spent eight seasons (2010-2017) in different capacities for the Seattle Seahawks, including the last three as defensive coordinator. During his tenure, Seattle boasted a defense that ranked in the top-five for five straight seasons (2012-16). Under his tutelage, safety Earl Thomas earned five Pro Bowl nominations and four AP All-Pro (three first-team, one second-team) selections, cornerback Richard Sherman was a four-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro (three first-team, one second-team) and safety Kam Chancellor a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time second-team All-Pro. Sherman's 32 career interceptions are tied for fourth in Seahawks history with Hall of Famer Kenny Easley.
Seattle finished sixth in passing defense in 2017 after allowing only 209.2 yards-per-game through the air, but took a step back overall defensively, finishing outside the top-10 for the first time since 2011, placing 11th in the league. In his first season as defensive coordinator in 2015, Seattle continued its defensive dominance as it led the NFL in scoring defense for the fourth consecutive season (2012-15), becoming the first defense in the Super Bowl era to accomplish the feat. Cleveland led the league in scoring defense for a record five straight seasons from 1953-57 in 12-game seasons. The group led the league in rush defense, allowing 81.5 yards-per-game and a franchise-record low 1,304 yards for the second consecutive season.
In 2013, the secondary propelled Seattle's defense to one of the NFL's most dominant. The Seahawks defensive backfield helped Seattle rank first in the league in passing defense (172.0 yards-per-game), interceptions (28) and opponent passer rating (63.4). In Seattle's Super Bowl XLVIII victory over Denver, the secondary held Peyton Manning to 280 passing yards (340.3 avg. in regular season), a 73.5 passer rating (115.1) and recorded one interception (by Chancellor).
During Richard's tenure, Seattle boasted a defense that ranked in the top-five for five consecutive seasons (2012-16), finishing fifth in 2016, before an injury-plagued season caused the unit to finish 11th in 2017. The Seahawks also became the fourth team in NFL history to lead the league in fewest points and yards allowed in back-to-back seasons (2013-14), and first since the 1985-86 Chicago Bears.
Prior to joining Seattle, Richard spent two seasons (2008-09) as a graduate assistant at the University of Southern California, working with the defensive backs.
Originally a third round pick (85th overall) by Seattle, Richard played in 38 games at cornerback with one start for the Seahawks from (2002-04) before playing one season in San Francisco (2005).
Richard lettered four years (1998-2001) at USC, starting his final three seasons. He had eight career interceptions and returned three for touchdowns, along with 125 tackles, 19 passes defensed and two fumble recoveries. The Los Angeles native received his bachelor's degree in sociology.
PLAYING CAREER: Southern California, 1998-01; Seattle Seahawks, 2002-04; San Francisco 49ers, 2005.
COACHING CAREER: Southern California, 2008-09; Seattle Seahawks, 2010-17; Dallas Cowboys, 2018-19; New Orleans Saints, 2021-.
