The New Orleans Saints added the next piece to their revamped special teams coaching staff, hiring former Penn State assistant Phil Galiano to assist new special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi. The move was first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Galiano served as Penn State’s special teams coordinator in 2018, and before that was a defensive consultant for the Nittany Lions. Galiano interned with Rizzi and the Miami Dolphins during the 2016 season, and worked with him at previous stops in New Haven and Rutgers in the early 2000’s. Rizzi typically has just one or two assistants on his crew, so don’t expect many more staff pickups. His longtime right-hand man, Marwan Maalouf, was hired away by the Minnesota Vikings as their special teams coordinator earlier this offseason.
For their part, Penn State fans don’t seem upset by this loss. Opinions of Galiano are low over at SB Nation’s Penn State blog, Black Shoe Diaries, and it seems fans are celebrating Galiano’s departure. We’ll see if there’s any merit to their takes soon enough, but Rizzi’s NFL success suggests he knows what he’s doing and who he’s bringing onto his staff.
