T.J. Paganetti enters his second campaign as the Saints' run game coordinator. The Bedford, Mass. native has 19 years of coaching experience, including 11 seasons in the NFL.
In his first season with the Saints coaching staff, as part of a staff implementing a new scheme, in 2025, Paganetti helped the run game improve its production in the latter part of the season, overcoming injuries at tailback, tight end and on the offensive line. As New Orleans finished the season 4-1, they increased their rushing yards per game by nearly 13 yards and finished tied for ninth in the National Football League over the period with six rushing touchdowns. Up front in helping engineer the rushing attack, rookie left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., the team's first round pick, was a consensus All-Rookie selection.
Paganetti arrived in New Orleans from the Philadelphia Eagles, where he served ten seasons (2013-14, 2017-24) on their offensive coaching staff. In 2024, the Bedford, Mass. native served as the team's run game specialist/assistant offensive line coach. Up front, all five of the Eagles offensive line starters received All-Pro votes from the Associated Press, with Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata earning All-Pro honors. In addition to Johnson, guard Landon Dickerson and center Cam Jurgens earned Pro Bowl recognition.
The Super Bowl Champion Eagles finished the 2024 season ranked eighth overall in net yards per game (367.2) and seventh in points per game (27.2). Philadelphia rushed for a single-season club record 3,048 yards (sixth-best in NFL history) and finished second in the league in rushing yards per game (179.3). The 2024 Eagles were only the second team in NFL history to rush for 3,000-plus yards and at least 25 (29) touchdowns.
Serving as the team's run game specialist/assistant tight ends coach in 2023, Paganetti helped the Eagles establish a single-season team record in third-down conversion rate (48.0 pct.) while finishing with the eight-best rushing attack (128.8 ypg) and fifth-most rushing touchdowns (22, tied) in the NFL. Dallas Goedert also registered a career-high 59 receptions for 592 yards and three touchdowns in 14 contests.
In 2022, Paganetti supported a record-breaking offense that helped the team advance to Super Bowl LVII following its 14-3 campaign. Overall, Philadelphia set club records in points (477), total touchdowns (59), scrimmage touchdowns (57), rushing touchdowns (32, tied for fourth in NFL history), total first downs (385) and red zone touchdown efficiency (67.8 pct.).
During the 2021 campaign, Paganetti assisted a unit that ranked first in the NFL with a team-record 2,715 rushing yards. Philadelphia also finished fourth in third-down percentage (45.7 pct.) and fifth in fewest turnovers (16).
Paganetti served as the assistant running backs coach during the 2019-20 seasons, including the added responsibilities of assistant run game coordinator (2020). In 2019, he helped guide Miles Sanders to PFWA All-Rookie honors after leading his class with 1,327 scrimmage yards and setting a franchise rookie record with 818 rushing yards.
As the offensive quality control/assistant offensive line coach from 2017-18, Paganetti worked with a unit that helped Jason Kelce (twice) and Johnson earn AP first-team All-Pro selections, also sending Brandon Brooks and Johnson to their first career Pro Bowls.
Paganetti contributed to one of the most prolific offensive lines in the league during Philadelphia's Super Bowl LII-winning campaign in 2017. The Eagles, who won 13 games en route to an NFC East championship and No. 1 seed in the playoffs, led the NFL in red zone offense (65.5 pct.) and ranked third in rushing 132.2 ypg) and offensive points per game (26.3).
As an analyst from 2013-14, Philadelphia set multiple single-season team records, including points (474), touchdowns (54), passing yards (4,581) and first downs (356) in 2014, as well as total yards (6,676) and fewest turnovers (19) in 2013.
Between stints with the Eagles, Paganetti returned to Oregon as a graduate assistant/linebackers coach during the 2015-16 seasons. He previously worked with the Ducks' quarterbacks as an offensive intern in 2012 after serving as a student assistant (offense and quarterbacks) from 2009-11.
Paganetti originally began his career as an undergraduate offensive intern (2007-08) with Oregon, where he earned his bachelor's degree in political science in 2012.
COACHING CAREER: Oregon, 2007-12, 2015-16; Philadelphia Eagles, 2013-14, 2017-24; New Orleans Saints, 2025-.
