Dennis Allen described what it was like to be fired in the middle of the season by the Saints.
The New Orleans Saints were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL throughout the 2024 season. New Orleans finished the regular season with a record of 5-12 at the bottom of the NFC South division standings. Now the Saints are on the hunt for a new head coach after firing Dennis Allen in the middle of the season.
Former Saints head coach Dennis Allen told Jay Glazer about his in-season firing on a recent podcast episode.
Allen told Glazer that GM Mickey Loomis “came into his office, closed the door and said let's talk,” on the Monday after the Panthers loss, per ESPN's Katherine Terrell. He said Loomis “was not really in favor of this move.” Allen then met with the coaches at 10AM to tell them he was fired.
Allen described how difficult it was to meet with his assistant coaches and give them the news. He knew that he would be fine, thanks to his money and connections. However, Allen knew that being fired can be a huge setback for younger assistant coaches.
Allen spent a good portion of the podcast episode talking about the emotional toll the firing took on him.
He described that he never got to address his players in person, citing that news travels so quickly today. Allen later said his goodbyes to players on phone calls or text messages.
“As a prideful man, I didn't want to be walking out of the parking lot with 1,000 cameras on me,” Allen said per Terrell.
Allen also spoke about the grieving process of not being able to be in the locker room with his team anymore.
Allen's honest conversation about the experience makes it easy to empathize with NFL coaches who loss their jobs at any point in the season.
Who will be the next head coach of the Saints?
The Saints now have to decide who will become their next head coach.
New Orleans turned to interim head coach Darren Rizzi to finish out the 2024 season. He may get an interview, but he is far from the favorite to secure the job.
According to the betting markets, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is the favorite for the Saints head coaching job. Glenn has a long history in New Orleans as a player and a coach. Glenn is already scheduled to meet with the Saints this week due to the Lions' bye week.
Glenn's notoriety has improved during his time with Dan Campbell in Detroit. This is especially true after his banged up defense held the Vikings to nine points on Sunday.
The betting markets also favor candidates like Bills OC Joe Brady, Eagles OC Kellen Moore, former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, Chiefs OC Matt Nagy, and Giants OC/assistant head coach Mike Kafka.
Based on this list, it seems that New Orleans wants an offensive-minded head coach.
It will be interesting to see who ends up landing this job in the coming weeks.
