Jan. 22, 2026, 2:05 p.m. CT
Just two NFC South teams have not made changes to their coaching staffs as of 1 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 22 — the Carolina Panthers, who finished in first place, and the New Orleans Saints, who finished in last. While some familiar faces are returning, both the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are actively filling out their coaching staffs in hopes of turning things around in 2026. Panthers assistants like defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero have interviewed for promotions elsewhere, so change could be coming to Carolina.
But the Saints haven’t shown any public urgency to build a better coaching staff. Kellen Moore gave his staff a week and a half off to recharge and spend time with their families after the regular season ended. Coaches returned to their offices at Tuesday, Jan. 20, and evaluations are ongoing. But it remains to be seen how Moore could shake up his staff, if at all.
We’ll be keeping up with each of the NFC South teams and what they’re up to down below. Check this space often for updates.
New Orleans Saints
Head coach: Kellen Moore
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Offensive coordinator: Doug Nussmeier
Defensive coordinator: Brandon Staley
Special teams coordinator: Phil Galiano
There’s one obvious area the Saints need to improve — special teams. Galiano’s crew fielded kicking units that ranked in the bottom half of the league in almost every metric, and bottom-five in key stats like net yards per punt and field goal hit rate. There are plenty of good candidates out there, but for now, the Saints haven’t tipped their hands on whether or not they want to make a move here.
Atlanta Falcons
Head coach: Kevin Stefanski
Offensive coordinator: Tommy Rees
Defensive coordinator: Jeff Ulbrich
Special teams coordinator: TBD
The Falcons made one of this year’s first coaching hires by landing Stefanski, the two-time Coach of the Year, and he’s already brought some of his former Cleveland Browns assistants with him. But Stefanski is keeping the defensive coaching staff largely intact. He inherited a good defense and is trusting those coaches to maintain high expectations while getting Atlanta’s offense right.
Carolina Panthers
Head coach: Dave Canales
Offensive coordinator: Brad Idzik
Defensive coordinator: Ejiro Evero
Special teams coordinator: Tracy Smith
The NFC South’s only playoff team hasn’t shaken things up yet, but they could be forced into it if Evero lands a head coaching job somewhere else. Canales has helped Bryce Young develop into a viable starting quarterback. Improving from 5-12 to 8-9 with a playoff berth in Year 2 has built a lot of momentum behind the Panthers coach.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Head coach: Todd Bowles
Offensive coordinator: Zac Robinson
Defensive coordinator: TBD
Special teams coordinator: Danny Smith
Bowles turned over almost his entire coaching staff after falling short in 2025, with new additions coming at each of the coordinator spots and many position groups. More changes are on the way, but for now, these are the names to know. It’s fair to ask if this could be enough to save his future in Tampa Bay after losing seven of nine games after the Bucs’ bye week.