New Orleans Saints Fire Head Coach Dennis Allen

by · Forbes
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 03: Head coach Dennis Allen of the New Orleans Saints reacts ... [+] during the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 03, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)Getty Images

After an embarrassing Week 9 loss to the previous one-win Carolina Panthers, the New Orleans Saints finally decided to pull the plug on head coach Dennis Allen.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported that the Saints parted ways with the team’s three-year head coach this morning following the team’s seventh consecutive loss. Allen had been with the organization since 2015 initially serving as former Saints head coach Sean Payton’s defensive coordinator for six years.

In three seasons as the team’s head coach, Allen had just one winning season, never made the playoffs and registered an 18-25 overall record.

Rapoport further reported that the Saints would hire assistant head coach and special team’s coordinator Darren Rizzi as the team’s interim coach for the remainder of the season. Rizzi designed the proposal for the NFL’s new kickoff rules in order to create more exciting special team plays while an emphasizing player safety.

The recent coaching move comes in the wake of the Saints Week 9 divisional showdown against their long-time rival the Atlanta Falcons.