The New Orleans Saints have reacted to their 2-7 start to the season by firing head coach Dennis Allen, according to multiple reports.
The Saints started the season looking like Super Bowl contenders, beating the Carolina Panthers 47-10 followed by a 44-19 dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys. But those wins would be put into context later in the season as the Cowboys and Panthers struggled. The Saints would too: the Saints met the Panthers again on Sunday and lost 23-22, New Orleans’ seventh straight defeat.
Allen was in his third season as New Orleans head coach and had also served as the team’s defensive coordinator from 2015 until he moved up to replace Sean Payton in 2022. While the Saints maintained the strong defense Allen had developed as coordinator, their offense has been patchy at best. In three seasons with the Saints, he had an 18-25 record and failed to make the playoffs. He was also head coach of the Raiders between 2012 and 2014, posting an 8-28 record.
The NFL Network reported that special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi will serve as the team’s interim head coach.
