The New Orleans Saints and head coach Sean Payton formally announced that Phil Galiano would be joining their 2019 coaching staff. Galiano will work with special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi after interning on Rizzi’s Miami Dolphins staff in 2016. He previously filled this same assistant position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012 to 2013, and most recently served as the special teams coordinator at Penn State. The hiring was first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Galiano spent most of his career with Rutgers, overseeing a variety of duties for the Scarlet Knights ranging from special teams coordinator to head of recruiting. He offers diverse experience in varying levels of football dating back to 2000, including a stop at New Haven in 2001 — where Rizzi was named head coach. Rizzi and Galiano have plenty of past experience together, and it’s clear they’re comfortable working on the same staff.
This is good news for a Saints special teams unit that performed well in 2018, with standout performances from kicker Wil Lutz and punter Thomas Morstead. Do-it-all player Taysom Hill and gunners Justin Hardee and Chris Banjo also put up great tape. They should all be able to rally around the new special teams coaching staff moving forward.
