The Saints officially have a new coach.
New Orleans announced Tuesday that Dennis Allen, its defensive coordinator from 2015–21, will take over for Sean Payton, who left the franchise last month.
The opportunity with the Saints will be Allen’s second as a head coach. His first attempt was a rough one. He compiled an 8–28 record leading the Raiders from 2012–14, and he was let go after an 0–4 start to his final season in Oakland.
Allen joined Payton's club the following season, helping revamp the defense and providing more balance to the team's dynamic offense led by Drew Brees. Allen previously served as assistant defensive line and secondary coach under Payton, and he was on staff for the franchise's win in Super Bowl XLIV.
“I saw in Dennis throughout this comprehensive interview process the same things I have seen in 12 years with him in this organization as an assistant coach,” Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said in the team's announcement. “Dennis is smart and organized and his values and personality fit the culture of the New Orleans Saints. The position groups he has coached and the defensive unit he has run have reflected this. Our philosophies on football and our vision for building on what we have with the Saints align in every way with our organization and I am excited to see what Dennis will accomplish in leading our football team.”
The Saints are coming off of a 9–8 season as they finished just shy of a playoff berth. It was the team's first season after Brees' retirement, with Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian and Ian Book all making starts under center.
“I think it's the most important decision that you make,” Allen said on Tuesday, of finding the team's new starting quarterback. “That's gonna be one of the first things that we do, is we get together as a staff, as an organization to evaluate that position, and then we'll make the best decision for this organization, that we think is the right thing for us moving forward.”
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