Phil Galiano - ST Coordinator, saints Event: Press Conference | Date: 2026-09-17 | Full transcript (primary source).
Phil Galiano, ST Coordinator for the Saints, addressed the media during a press conference on September 17, 2026, following a practice session. The discussion focused on player performance and injury updates as the team prepares for their upcoming game.
Transcript
Galiano: We had some workouts today and you know, we'll go handle that and kind of get it announced here as it goes. But we had some guys in today. It did a good job. So we'll get one and we'll be ready to go play on Sunday.
Galiano: We do yes, I think you know Mike parent does a really good job of that at all the different positions. You know, you kind of just have a short list of guys, you know, and especially when it comes to specials position.
Galiano: So we do yes. Um, yeah, look I mean is it the easiest thing no, you know, but that's part of the NFL. That's it. You know, that's all the teams deal with that. And so we'll get a guy in here, we'll get him practiced up tomorrow Saturday and he'll be ready to go on Sunday.
Galiano: He snapped today for so he did a good job.
Galiano: Yeah, look we went we the way our practice goes, right we went we do a pump walk through and then we had a punt team period and then we had a field goal period and Zach did them all and he was fine. And towards the end of practice, he was like, you know, he just said in my cast feeling a little bit sore. And then I didn't find out until after our specialty meeting and that he was hurt. I didn't, you know, they took him afterwards. So I was I came off the practice field feeling fine because he went through all practice and did everything.
Galiano: So one of those unfortunate things.
Galiano: Zach came here. He was he was signed like 48 hours before the season opener. Can he help whoever winds up being a long snapper at Sunday with that transition? For sure. And I think, you know, not only that he's done it can help but just he's been here long enough and he knows the system. He knows everything I want to do in the details and stuff like that and he takes great pride. And so he will he'll sit down whoever, you know, we get here and be able to help him go through it and help me get him up to speed. They're ready to play on Sunday.
Galiano: I thought there was there was some good and bad like everything. I thought that, you know, I was pleased with our kickoff coverage, you know. I think when you take a look we had one unfortunate one, right where we just we get a face mask penalty which is a guy playing hard and they started to 50 but other than that, you know, you hit the squid ball on there at the 18 you hit one of those touch backs. It's skid through the end zone in there and did 220 and the rest of the coverage is you know they're gonna be inside the 30.
Galiano: And you know the way this new kickoff rule has happened when you look at it, you know, like if a team's gonna hit a touchback and you get the ball at 35. So anytime you cover a kick that you stop them inside inside of 35 then it's a successful play and obviously you'd like it to be closer down there.
Galiano: But I think, you know, that's part of the risk reward of some of those dirty ball kicks, right? If you know Detroit had one that didn't make the landing zone. So now we're starting on the 40. But in the big picture of it if you're able to get one of them successful and you start them on the 20 and then you kick one short and they're at the 40. It's averaging out to the 30. So it's better than a touch back and that's kind of what your I think your goals are is to be able to tackle them on kickoff coverage, you know at the 30 or inside of it.
Galiano: Conversation because it's like this squid kick thing early on like is it easier to be more aggressive on kickoffs maybe early in the game where it's not as big of a?
Galiano: Yeah, yeah, I think I think that's a fair question. I think it is. I think the game situation right, you know how it is the the last thing you want to do is put them on the 40-yard line in a game like that.
Galiano: So it's early and then the reality of it is, you know, after you do it one if you can't do it every time cuz if you do it once or twice now all I gotta do is just move a returner up or something like that.
Galiano: Right now the returner is able to catch the ball on the 15 with a head of steam going forward. You know, you've seen some good returns that happen off there. So I think it's something you have to try to be able to do strategically. We can't live in that world only.
Galiano: Is that a squid kick hard like I've seen people try it and fail? Like obviously Jake wasn't able to pull it up look like that's what he was trying to do. Is that's that doesn't seem like something everyone can do.
Galiano: No, it's not. It's not something like you would look at and say, okay, you should be able to do this, but it's hard. You know just look across the league of how many landing zone penalties there were in the in week one, you know so that's it's not as easy as you want it to be and I think that's kind of why teams will pick and choose their times and when they want to do it.
Galiano: Daniel's first pick I think get in a bouncing off the guys face mask. Is that like something that you can generate seems really?
Galiano: Yeah, like when you do it I don't go into it saying that we're gonna get a turnover off of this now I was hoping like heck it would have bounced a yard or two and we would have but I think it's more of just a way to get the ball on the ground disrupt the timing allow the guys to go and try to create a negative play and and now maybe get them tackled near the 20, but I wouldn't go into it saying we're you're expecting to get a turnover out of it.
Galiano: I can I can execute this kick or you have to see him do it like these are they gonna trust him that he's able to do that kind of stuff?
Galiano: Yeah, it is and I think it's you know we practice it, you know as well at times here and sometimes we practice it it isn't even in a team period or when the team's around we may be out on the outside field getting a kicking punting session and stuff like that and those are just things that you try to work on and continue to develop and you know I think it's like with everything you a job as a coach is not to ask a player to do something that they don't do well, right and so if they can do it well, or if they're they're practicing they're getting better at it then that's where you can try to start experiment with stuff like that.
Galiano: And I think you know, that's where it's our job is let's ask the players to do what they do well and allow them to go play fast.
Galiano: No, I just think that you know, it was six to yarder and unfortunately didn't make it and you know, it was funny. We're on the sideline right before and I'm talking to one another I'm like the last game he played and he hit a 60-yarder went like I would have I would put a lot of money on it that he was going to go make that thing and unfortunately didn't but next time we get the opportunity and we believe that he will go do it next time.
Galiano: I think for the first time Baron did a good job. I think he secured the ball which was number one. He had a nice punt return was about 16 yards there and I think that you know, there's things that he can improve on obviously, I think the one return he could have just got vertical more than trying to go sideways a little bit and that's any any corrected that the second time. So I'm pleased with where he's at.
Galiano: I think we need to do a better job on some of those plays especially the kick return and we need to do a better job of blocking I need to do a better job of coaching so we can give him a little bit more space to get that play going for us.
Galiano: Can it be a bit of a challenge to kind of teach them like he can't break every play like sometimes just kind of take what's there or how does he kind of handle that?
Galiano: Yeah, I think it's a learning experience and I think that like the one thing I've been super impressed with is he's a great kid and he wants to be great and like the work he puts in and the studying of other returners and situations and stuff like he wants to be great and cumulative reps. He's gonna just get keep getting better and better and better.
Galiano: So a lot of you know young players at every position sometimes they just need to be able to go do it and figure out how it works in this league and then they're able to go on have some success with it. So I'm pleased with where he is I'm pleased with his work ethic and his study habits and he wants to be great and we're gonna we're gonna get him there.
Galiano: Just the nature of that position is that one of the positions where people outside don't really realize how good you have it until the long snapper isn't there.
Galiano: That's a big. Yes. That's a big. Yes.
Galiano: It's listen, here's the thing about long snapper just go around the league and see how many guys have been doing it for double digit years as compared to the rest of the players. It's a unique skill set that is extremely difficult.
Galiano: Not only it's not only just the snapping part of being able to be accurate on a punt in the field goal snaps but to then be able to have to block sometimes it's going to be a skill player right a DB or safety sometimes it's gonna be a 330 pound defensive lineman sometimes gonna be one of those combat combo linebackers that like to be able to execute your job of snapping the ball they actually have to protect is extremely difficult.
Galiano: And you know in the college game they're not helping because of the rule chain, they're the rule difference between college and the NFL and most of the college snappers just snap the ball and they go run down the field and cover so they've never been taught.
Galiano: That's why it just takes a little bit longer for younger guys to learn that skill and be able to execute.
Galiano: What's the margin like between a good long snapper and our great long snapper and a okay one like is it a it's a big margin or a big drop-off. I guess just based on what you said is it a big one?
Galiano: I don't know the big one would be the correct answer. I think it's you know you have some guys that are really really good at what they do and Zach's one of those guys just a consistency over and over and to be able to come in on Sunday or come in here every week since I've been here and never have to have that conversation.
Galiano: Right that to me is really really good and then you have a there's gonna be a group of guys that are solid players to get the job done that they don't go not noticed and then there's gonna be you know a couple guys here there they don't hang around long with that you notice them and everybody wants to talk about it and we're trying to make sure we avoid that.
Galiano: Yeah, I think they do and that's kind of where your short list kind of comes from and those guys and their their agents, you know, they send videos weekly of those guys working out and doing stuff like that and staying, you know, and that's three all three specials positions kicker punter and snap, right? It's kind of just like a way it goes in this league those there's a group of guys that know that they're one phone call away from getting another opportunity and they want to stay ready to go make the most of it.
