Saints fire coach Dennis Allen; Darren Rizzi named interim coach

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints fired coach Dennis Allen on Monday, a day after a loss at last-place Carolina prolonged the Saints’ shedding streak to seven video games — their longest since 1999.

“DA is a wonderful soccer coach,” Saints common supervisor Mickey Loomis mentioned. “This season, we’ve had an avalanche of accidents. It took its toll. DA has by no means provided excuses. He fought every day for this group and this staff and that’s what makes in the present day disappointing.”

The Saints named particular groups coordinator Darren Rizzi the membership’s interim coach for the ultimate eight video games of what’s trending towards a fourth straight season with out a playoff berth for New Orleans (2-7).

“This isn’t a day for celebration,” Rizzi mentioned. “It is a powerful day. On the similar time, there’s just one approach to battle by this.”

The 54-year-old Rizzi mentioned he embraced the problem he’s inherited as a result of “I embrace the whole lot.”

“I solely know the way to do issues a technique. I grew up somewhat little bit of a fighter. I’ve actually by no means actually been handed something,” Rizzi mentioned, noting that he was a walk-on tight finish in faculty at Rhode Island, an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1992 and acquired his first head teaching job with Division II New Haven in 1999.

“Actually, we’re going to reevaluate the whole lot,” mentioned Rizzi, who considers himself a disciple of two-time Tremendous Bowl successful coach Invoice Parcells, who was a Miami Dolphins govt when he gave Rizzi his first NFL job.

“You’re going to reevaluate everyone, the whole lot, employees, the coaches the gamers,” Rizzi mentioned. “As a result of, proper now, once you lose seven video games in a row, you’re clearly not in a spot the place you’ll be able to keep establishment.”

Allen went 18-25 with out a playoff look since taking on in 2022 after Sean Payton, probably the most profitable coach in Saints historical past, started what turned out to be a one-season retirement from teaching.

Allen was promoted by Loomis after a six-season tenure as New Orleans’ defensive coordinator, a interval that noticed his unit ranked within the prime 10 within the NFL in 2020 and 2021.

“Dennis has been part of our group for a few years,” Saints proprietor Gayle Benson mentioned, referring to Allen’s preliminary stint as a defensive assistant with New Orleans from 2006 to 2010. “He has been extraordinarily loyal {and professional}.

“All of this makes in the present day very powerful for me and our group,” Benson added. “Nevertheless, this determination is one thing that I felt we would have liked to make at the moment.”

In a written assertion launched by the staff, Allen thanked Benson and Loomis for his alternative, calling the Saints an “group that may all the time be close to and expensive to my coronary heart.”

Allen mentioned he by no means questioned his gamers’ dedication and resolve, including, “I’m sorry the outcomes weren’t higher, as a result of they had been actually deserved.”

The Saints continued to discipline one of many higher defenses within the NFL throughout Allen’s first two seasons as head coach, however the offense has been erratic and infrequently struggled within the late levels of shut video games.

This 12 months, with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in cost, the offense started the season by scoring a shocking 91 factors throughout consecutive victories in Weeks 1 and a couple of. Since then, nevertheless, the unit has struggled to supply whereas accidents to key gamers have mounted.

Middle Erik McCoy, the Saints’ most achieved offensive lineman, was the primary to go down in Week 3 and hasn’t performed since. In the meantime, New Orleans has endured stints with out quarterback Derek Carr, prime receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed and veteran guard Cesar Ruiz, amongst others.

New Orleans entered Sunday’s loss to the Panthers with out three of its prime 4 cornerbacks on protection: Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo and Kool-Help McKinstry.

However Carr was again from a three-game absence.

The Saints outgained the Panthers 427 yards to 246 but nonetheless misplaced, 23-22 — to a staff it had crushed 47-10 in Week 1.

Allen went 7-10 in his first season with the Saints and improved to 9-8 final 12 months, narrowly lacking the playoffs. Allen hoped that with a brand new offense, New Orleans would enhance sufficient to make the playoffs for the primary time since 2020 — which additionally was franchise all-time passer Drew Brees’ ultimate NFL season.

However since its sturdy opening two weeks, New Orleans’ offense has largely languished and dropped to sixteenth in yards per recreation (331.4) by Sunday’s video games.

Allen’s protection, in the meantime, has plummeted to twenty eighth, permitting 376.4 yards per recreation.

“Should you don’t really feel dangerous, one thing’s in all probability flawed with you,” security Tyrann Mathieu mentioned of how he anticipated Saints gamers to course of Allen’s firing.

“Defensively, we performed in all probability the most important function in him being fired,” Mathieu added. “The best way we didn’t shut out video games. Tackling — that’s type of been a problem for us all season.”

Whereas the 52-year-old Allen stays an achieved defensive coordinator, his prospects for getting one other head teaching place seem dim at greatest. He’s now 26-53 as an NFL coach, together with his 8-28 file with the Oakland Raiders from 2012-14.

Allen thanked Saints followers for his or her “unwavering ardour and assist of the staff,” saying he realized “what a privilege it’s to educate a particular franchise in an ideal metropolis.”

Subsequent steps

Rizzi makes his debut in a head teaching function when New Orleans hosts the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons. A victory would pull the Saints inside three video games of Atlanta (6-3) with seven extra to play.

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