Derrick Foster is set to join the coaching staff of the New Orleans Saints as their new running backs coach, as reported by Matt Zenitz of CBS and 247Sports, and later confirmed by Nick Underhill of neworleans.football. Foster, who spent the last three seasons as the running backs coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, previously held the same position at the University of Iowa for three seasons. His coaching career commenced in 2012 as an offensive assistant at the University of Tennessee.
During his tenure with the Chargers, the team struggled in rushing production, ranking 25th, 30th, and 21st in the last three seasons. Despite the team’s challenges, Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, known as one of the league’s top all-purpose backs, played a key role in the passing attack.
Foster enters a revamped coaching lineup for the Saints, who still have an opening for a wide receivers coach. Klint Kubiak takes over as the new offensive coordinator, succeeding longtime coordinator Pete Carmichael. Additionally, Andrew Janocko assumes the role of QB coach, John Benton replaces Doug Marrone as the offensive line coach, and TE coach Clancy Barone remains the only offensive position coach from the previous season.
In the 2023 season, the Saints ranked 21st in rushing yardage and 31st in yards per carry. Despite these numbers, dynamic running back Alvin Kamara is considered one of the NFL’s most versatile backs. The team also saw contributions from Jamaal Williams, a former 1,000-yard rusher and touchdown leader with the Detroit Lions in 2022. Rookie third-round pick Kendre Miller, though injured for much of the year, displayed explosive potential towards the end of the season.
