New Orleans Saints Overview
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded on November 1, 1966, the Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The club plays its home games at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans and operates its headquarters and training facility, the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, out of Metairie, Louisiana. The team is owned by Gayle Benson, with Mickey Loomis serving as general manager, Dennis Lauscha as president, and Kellen Moore as head coach.
The Saints are identified by their old gold, black, and white color scheme, the iconic fleur-de-lis logo, and the fight song “When the Saints Go Marching In.” After decades of struggle, the franchise rose to national prominence in the late 2000s and 2010s, reaching its crowning moment with a victory in Super Bowl XLIV following the 2009 season. The team has built one of the most loyal fan bases in the NFL, known collectively as the “Who Dats,” and its identity is deeply tied to the culture and resilience of New Orleans.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The New Orleans Saints were founded by John W. Mecom Jr., David Dixon, and the city of New Orleans on November 1, 1966, joining the NFL as an expansion team in 1967. Local sports entrepreneur Dave Dixon had spent more than five years lobbying for an NFL franchise and had organized exhibition games that drew record crowds to New Orleans. To help seal the AFL–NFL merger, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle arrived in the city and officially awarded the expansion franchise, with Dixon urging that the announcement be delayed to coincide with All Saints’ Day.
The team was named for “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the classic jazz standard associated with New Orleans, and Dixon cleared the choice with New Orleans Archbishop Philip M. Hannan, who supported the idea. U.S. House Majority Whip Hale Boggs attached the merger to a bill granting antitrust exemption, clearing the legal path for the new franchise. John W. Mecom Jr., a young oilman from Houston, became the team’s first majority stockholder, and the black and gold colors were chosen to symbolize both Mecom’s ties to the petroleum industry and the spirit of New Orleans. Trumpeter Al Hirt was part of the original ownership group, and Tom Fears was named the first head coach.
Growth Into NFL Competition
The Saints entered the NFL in 1967 as part of the Eastern Conference, playing in the Capitol and Century Divisions before the league’s 1970 realignment placed them in the NFC West. From 1967 through 1974, the team played at Tulane Stadium, with the inaugural game on September 17, 1967, drawing more than 80,000 fans. The team set an NFL record for most wins by an expansion team in its debut season, going 3–11, and the home opener featured John Gilliam returning the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams.
Early operations were built around a small front office, modest scouting staff, and a developing coaching pipeline. One of the franchise’s signature early moments came on November 8, 1970, when Tom Dempsey kicked a 63-yard field goal to defeat the Detroit Lions 19–17, setting an NFL record that stood until 2013. The team moved into the Louisiana Superdome in 1975, modernizing its home base, and was realigned into the NFC South in 2002 alongside the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
New Orleans Saints Competitive Journey
The Saints’ competitive arc stretches from a 20-season stretch without a winning record to a sustained run of contention that produced the franchise’s only Super Bowl championship. After years of rebuilding, the team broke through in 1987 with its first winning record and playoff appearance, claimed its first playoff victory in 2000, and peaked with the Super Bowl XLIV title in 2009. The club has since made the playoffs nine times since 2006, including four consecutive division titles from 2017 to 2020, and continues to compete annually in one of the NFL’s toughest divisions.
Early Seasons and Development (1967–1984)
For most of their first two decades, the Saints finished third or fourth in their division, and the 1979 and 1983 teams were the only squads to reach the .500 mark until 1987. The 1980 season became symbolic of the franchise’s early struggles, as the team lost its first 14 games and local sportscaster Bernard “Buddy D” Diliberto suggested fans wear paper bags over their heads, with many rendering the club’s name as the “‘Aints.” Despite the losing, the team built a passionate regional following, and memorable moments such as Dempsey’s record field goal and Archie Manning’s 1971 debut win over the Los Angeles Rams provided bright spots.
Ownership and personnel changes laid the groundwork for the franchise’s eventual breakthrough. John W. Mecom Jr. controlled the team from 1966 through 1985, working through a series of coaching changes as the organization searched for the right combination of leadership and talent. By the time Tom Benson acquired the franchise in 1985, hiring Jim Finks as general manager and Jim Mora as head coach, the structural pieces were finally in place for sustained improvement.
Breakthrough in NFL (1985–2005)
The Benson era began with the most dramatic turnaround in franchise history. Under Mora, the Saints posted a 12–3 record in 1987, earned their first winning season and playoff berth, and went on to capture their first division title in 1991. Mora’s teams, marked by the dominant “Dome Patrol” linebacking corps, made the playoffs four times but could not win a postseason game before Mora stepped down midway through the 1996 season.
The next era brought Mike Ditka, whose tenure ended in disappointment after a 3–13 finish in 1999, but the foundation he helped build produced the franchise’s first playoff victory in January 2001, a 31–28 home win over the defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams under new head coach Jim Haslett. The Saints then endured difficult years, including a 3–13 finish in 2005 that was played entirely outside New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina, which displaced the club to San Antonio and Baton Rouge.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2006–Present)
The arrival of Sean Payton as head coach in January 2006 and the signing of quarterback Drew Brees in March 2006 launched the most successful era in franchise history. The 2006 team went 10–6, won the NFC South, and reached the NFC Championship Game before falling to the Chicago Bears. In the 2009 season, the Saints opened 13–0, defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game, and beat the Indianapolis Colts 31–17 in Super Bowl XLIV to deliver the city of New Orleans its first major professional sports championship.
Following the Super Bowl win, the Saints remained a perennial contender, capturing division titles in 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. The 2017 draft class of Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, and Alvin Kamara is widely considered one of the best in NFL history and powered a defensive turnaround. After Brees’s retirement following the 2020 season, the franchise cycled through several quarterbacks before turning to Dennis Allen as head coach in 2022 and later hiring Kellen Moore as head coach, with the current program built around continued investment in coaching, scouting, and the Ochsner Sports Performance Center.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
The Saints have long been defined by a high-powered passing attack built around accurate, efficient quarterback play, and during the Brees era the team set NFL records for completion percentage, passing yards, and total offense. The franchise complements that offensive identity with a strong emphasis on special teams play, a deep tradition of star linebackers, and a willingness to invest in the offensive and defensive lines through the draft. Under the current staff, the focus has been on maintaining offensive creativity while rebuilding defensive depth.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Among the franchise’s defining moments are Tom Dempsey’s 63-yard field goal in 1970, the first playoff win over the St. Louis Rams in January 2001, the emotional 2006 home opener following Hurricane Katrina, the Super Bowl XLIV victory in February 2010, and the Minneapolis Miracle loss to the Minnesota Vikings in January 2018. The 2017 draft class, the 2018 NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, and the 2020 playoff run that ended Brees’s career also stand as pivotal moments in club history.
New Orleans Saints Achievements and Results
Across more than five decades of competition, the Saints have compiled an overall record of 427–493–5 with a .464 winning percentage, including 14 playoff appearances, nine division titles, three conference championship game appearances, and one Super Bowl victory. The franchise has produced five Pro Football Hall of Famers whose primary credentials came in New Orleans, and has had decades of Pro Bowl selections among its ranks.
NFL Achievements
The Saints have won one NFL championship, capturing Super Bowl XLIV at the end of the 2009 season with a 31–17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The team has reached the Super Bowl only once in its history, making the Saints one of two NFL franchises, along with the New York Jets, to win their lone Super Bowl appearance. The franchise has also made the playoffs 14 times, beginning with the 1987 postseason and continuing most recently in 2020.
Conference Achievements
The Saints have made three appearances in the NFC Championship Game, following the 2006, 2009, and 2018 seasons. They won the 2009 NFC Championship Game in overtime against the Minnesota Vikings to advance to Super Bowl XLIV, and the 2018 NFC Championship Game ended in a 26–23 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams that was marked by a controversial late no-call. The 2006 conference championship appearance ended in a 39–14 loss to the Chicago Bears.
Divisional Achievements
The Saints have won nine division titles, beginning with the 1991 NFC West championship and including the NFC South crowns in 2000, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. The franchise’s run of four consecutive NFC South titles from 2017 through 2020 ranks among the most dominant divisional stretches in club history. The Saints have also been frequent postseason qualifiers out of the NFC South since 2006, helping to define one of the league’s most competitive divisions.
Series Achievements
The Saints maintain a long-running rivalry with the Atlanta Falcons, their oldest divisional opponent, with Atlanta holding a narrow 58–57 edge in the all-time series as of the 2025 season. The team also leads its all-time series with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 40–25 and leads the Carolina Panthers 31–28 in regular season play. The Saints have developed a notable postseason rivalry with the Minnesota Vikings, who hold a 25–13 lead in the all-time series and a 4–1 postseason edge as of the 2024 season.
