Reports: Kliff Kingsbury won't interview with Saints, will

Kliff Kingsbury's not leaving a good thing in Washington.

The Commanders offensive coordinator will not interview with the New Orleans Saints for their head coaching vacancy, according to multiple reports. He instead will remain in Washington to run the offense helmed by breakout rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Kingsbury declined to conduct any interviews while the Commanders remained in the postseason, where they lost on Sunday to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship. The Saints are the only NFL team still seeking to hire a head coach and had requested an interview with Kingsbury that he will not take.

In his first year as Washington's offensive coordinator, the Commanders ranked seventh in yards per game (369.6) and fifth in points per game (28.5) in the NFL. Daniels was a revelation after being selected with the No. 2 pick in the draft. He's the odds on favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year after a historic campaign that produced a 12-5 regular season record and Washington's first trip to the NFC championship game since the 1991 season.

It's an enviable position for an offensive coordinator and one that Kingsbury ultimately opted not to abandon in search of his second NFL head coaching opportunity. Kingsbury coached the Arizona Cardinals from 2019-22. The Cardinals fired him one season into a contract extension.

"We'll see how everything plays out, but I'm very happy here,"<a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://apnews.com/article/commanders-lions-coaches-playoffs-2e3facbd373a18d10a579f5022530814"> Kingsbury said</a> during Washington's playoff run when asked about pursuing a head coaching job. "This has been an awesome, awesome place and has really helped me kind of rekindle my love for the sport."

Who will the Saints hire?

While Kingsbury's out of the mix, the Saints' head coaching search goes on after they fired Dennis Allen midseason. Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady has also reportedly pulled his name out of contention for the job.

Former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore are among the candidates reportedly still in contention for the job.