The final head coaching vacancy has been filled. The Saints have informed defensive coordinator Dennis Allen that he’ll be the team’s new head coach, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
Allen was thought to be the favorite for the gig considering his familiarity with the franchise and the continuity he’d provide in a post-Sean Payton era. As SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan reports (on Twitter), Allen isn’t expected to make many (if any) changes to the coaching staff, while Albert Breer of TheMMQB notes (on Twitter) that the new HC also has a strong relationship with the scouting department.
The 49-year-old’s coaching career started in Atlanta, but he took on a bigger role once he moved to New Orleans, eventually becoming their secondary coach (which saw him earn his lone Super Bowl ring). He later became the Broncos defensive coordinator before getting hired as the Raiders head coach in 2012.
His tenure with Oakland didn’t last very long. Early on in his third season in charge, he was fired, and he finished his tenure as head coach with an 8-28 record. Allen ended up returning to the Saints, and after a brief stint as a senior defensive assistant, he became their defensive coordinator in 2015.
In his seven seasons in the role, Allen rehabilitated his image. He was on the HC radar last offseason, and he was a candidate for the Bears head coaching gig this cycle. Once Payton left New Orleans, he seemed like a natural replacement for the Saints. While he received some strong competition from the likes of Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, and former Dolphins head coach Brian Flores (per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Twitter), Allen was ultimately chosen as the 11th full-time head coach in franchise history.
Flores can now dedicate himself to his baseless lawsuit
Ah yes, I can see that after a thorough investigation, you’ve decided that what you want to be true must be true.
No, no, that’s not logical. Baseless is correct at this point in time. All Flores has shown at this point is innuendos and accusations. His lawyers have to prove they are true. The accused don’t have to prove their innocence. Ex I can accuse my neighbors of stealing my lawn tractor but if there is no lawn tractor of mine I. Their possession or no other proof they took it, they aren’t responsible for providing they didn’t do it. There has to be substance for proof of innocence to happen. To this point there is no proof.
What’s not logical? People are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but that’s not the same as pre-deciding someone’s claims are baseless. And the standard of proof is different in a civil case versus a criminal one. You have no idea whether the claims are baseless. You’re an outsider who’s done no investigating of his claims (nor could you at this point). And I’m pretty sure your tractor example wouldn’t make sense even if you had written it coherently, which you didn’t.
Leftwich, Bowels, Bienemy, Frazier, Flores and McDaniel were seen as top coaching candidates, and Ryans turned heads. In fact, you can argue most of the top candidates were Black.
Only McDaniel gets hired, and the others lose out to people with the very limitations people said were holding the others back (were retreads, didn’t call plays, worked with Hall of Famers etc).
And the kicker is a guy who never coached above high school was named a finalist over all of these coaches sans Flores, and probably would have gotten the job had it not been for the lawsuit.
It may not win, but the way this year played out alone makes the suit far from baseless.
Again, it’s a class action suit that seeks to challenge the system. The NFL even acknowledged the system is flawed.
Leftwich, Bowels, Frazier and Flores are all jokes of a coach. Leftwich would be a good QB coach or most OC only. Bowels, tanked already and why hire him again and rank your team. Frazier haha and Flores couldn’t buy a win at Dolphins. I wouldn’t even hired McDaniels either. He has been good because of Bill.
What on earth are you talking about? Leftwich won a super bowl as an offensive coordinator and Flores led the Dolphins to their first back to back winning seasons in almost two decades, despite coming off a complete teardown with no offensive line. Bowles didn’t do great as a head coach the first time, but the best QB he had was Josh McCown, and lots of guys get chances to do better a second or even third time.
Great hire. I felt that Allen was the right guy from the beginning.
Makes sense to have continuity. It’s not like there’s a regime change because the coaching staff was a problem.
Surprised Allen wasn’t talked about being a HC for other teams. He did get as the interim head coach against the Bucs.
“ Surprised he wasn’t talked about?” Have you ever watched a game in your life or watch him as a head coach? This is the end of the Saints. Really it was 12 years ago but they played out the string. This guy will crash them into a brick wall at 100. This hire was a JOKE
Because no one has ever struggled as a head coach the first time and done better the second time? He wasn’t exactly put in a position to succeed with the Raiders.
BahahHa
Yeah, he was pretty bad in Oakland though. Like, especially bad. I’ve always felt that, as good as the Saints’ defense has been the last few years, that it was totally the result of their talent and not necessarily the coaching. I’ve scratched my head at some of defensive calls (even aside from the obvious Minneapolis Miracle, which involved a coverage that I didn’t understand, wasting players covering the middle in a game about to expire).
But I could be wrong, as I’m no expert. I hope for the Saints’ sake that Allen has learned from his mistakes, but I’ll have to see it to be convinced. The Saints should remain a solid defensive team while they have their stars, but whether or not the team as a whole will remain competitive without a HoF offensive coach remains to be seen.
Clown Yep it is
No QB. No Kamara…
good luck.