Photo By: Grant Halverson
The New Orleans Saints announced Monday that they have relieved Dennis Allen of his duties as head coach, a day after the team's seventh consecutive loss marked the franchise’s longest losing streak since 1999. In Allen's place, Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator Darren Rizzi has been named the interim head coach.
“Dennis has been part of our organization for many years. He is highly regarded within the NFL,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. “He has been extremely loyal and professional and, most importantly, an excellent football coach for us. All of this makes today very tough for me and our organization. However, this decision is something that I felt we needed to make at this time. I wish Dennis and his family nothing but the best for the future.”
Allen’s tenure began in 2022 after he had served as the Saints’ defensive coordinator under Sean Payton from 2015 to 2021. In his three seasons as head coach, Allen accumulated an 18-25 record with no playoff appearances. His dismissal makes him the second NFL head coach to be removed midseason, following the New York Jets’ decision to part ways with Robert Saleh earlier this year.
This season has been particularly challenging for the Saints, plagued by a series of injuries to key players. Starting quarterback Derek Carr missed games due to an oblique injury, while wide receivers Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave also suffered significant setbacks. Shaheed was ruled out for the season following a serious injury in Week 6, and Olave has dealt with multiple concussions, the most recent of which sent him to the hospital in the Saints’ recent loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Despite opening the season with two wins and scoring 91 points across those games, New Orleans has struggled to maintain momentum, particularly on offense. Following the Saints’ narrow 23-22 loss to Carolina, Allen expressed his disappointment and spoke to reporters about the importance of performance improvement. “I just think we’ve got to do better,” he stated, though he added that he did not believe a coaching change would necessarily fix the team’s problems.
Now at a 2-7 record, the Saints are tied with the Panthers for last place in the NFC South. The team hopes that Rizzi can bring renewed energy and direction, even as they face an uphill battle for the remainder of the season.
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