49ers Could Hire Former Saints HC as Next Defensive Coordinator

The San Francisco 49ers could turn to a Bay Area native as their defensive coordinator for the 2025 season and beyond.

San Francisco parted ways with Nick Sorensen after a disappointing season that saw a talented group perform below expectations. The 49ers felt the need to make a change, and that’s where Dennis Allen could come in.

The former New Orleans Saints DC and head coach was fired by the NFC South franchise in 2024, and ESPN’s Nick Wagoner thinks the dots could connect on the San Jose native returning to California.

“While [Robert] Saleh and [Jeff] Ulbrich are considered top candidates, another name worth keeping a close eye on is former New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen, Allen has extensive experience, working eight years as a defensive coordinator in Denver and New Orleans, almost six seasons as a head coach with the Saints and Raiders and another year as the Saints senior defensive assistant,” Wagoner wrote on January 13.

Wagoner also mentions Niners HC Kyle Shanahan’s relationship with Allen.

“Shanahan has long respected Allen, as most recently evident in the fits Allen’s defense gave Shanahan’s offense in a Nov. 2022 victory in which the 49ers managed just 13 points on 4.7 yards per play against Allen’s Saints,” the article states.

That being said, Wagoner also brings up a major factor: Allen will be paid by the Saints through the 2025 season. He could take a year off and then prepare for the 2026 coaching carousel.

49ers Defensive Stumbles

While the offense wasn’t always doing the defense favors, San Francisco simply gave up too many points in 2024. The 49ers finished 29th in PPG (25.6,) and the Niners allowed 27+ points on 7 separate occassions.

Another possible factor for San Francisco moving on was that things did not improve throughout the year. In fact, 5 of the team’s last 6 losses saw the defense give up 29 points or more. The 47-point performance from the Arizona Cardinals in the final game of the season was just insult to injury.

Speaking of injury, it definitely played a factor with the defense (more on that below.) But San Francisco has navigated that situation successfully with prior coordinators. In a disappointing year and with Shanahan in a secure (for now) position, Sorensen’s firing adds up.

49ers Stars Struggle to Stay on Field

From position leaders to rising rookies, the Niners could not escape the injury bug. Almost every positional group saw players regularly go down. In a case like Dre Greenlaw, the linebacker could not return to the team until late in the year and still only played 2 games before getting injured again.

Another “what could have been” example is safety Talanoa Hufanga. Hufanga played just 7 games primarily due to a wrist injury, but he didn’t look the part when he did take the field. The 24-year-old safety recorded no passes defended and just two tackles for loss.

Javon Hargrave was supposed to be the centerpiece DT, but he made it just three games before suffering a partially torn tricep. Considering other defensive lineman like Yetur Matos-Gross and Kevin Givens also missed time, it’s no surprise the 49ers gave up 26 more rushing yards per game in 2024 than they did in 2023.