Dennis Allen is heading into his third season as the Saints’ head coach with a lot riding on 2024. After posting a losing record in his first two years, Allen’s job security is starting to look a bit shaky, as Jeff Howe of The Athletic points out.
Allen, who took over from Sean Payton in 2022, had a solid background as the Saints’ defensive coordinator before stepping up to the top job. But since Drew Brees retired, the team’s offense hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders. Under Allen, the Saints ranked 19th and 14th in total offense, and last year’s big signing, Derek Carr, didn’t quite live up to the hype.
Things could change this year, though. For the first time since 2009, Pete Carmichael won’t be the offensive coordinator. Instead, the Saints brought in Klint Kubiak, who previously held the OC role in 2021. The hope is that Kubiak’s fresh approach will boost both the passing and running games, which are crucial for getting the Saints back into the playoffs.
While the offense has been a concern, Allen’s defense has been rock-solid. The Saints have consistently been in the top 10 for points allowed over the past four seasons, and the core defensive players are still largely intact. The offseason saw more cap management moves to keep the key players in place.
Last December, there was speculation that Allen might be out if the team didn’t turn things around. The Saints didn’t win the NFC South, which didn’t help his case, but the focus seemed to shift more towards fixing the offense rather than a complete coaching change. Allen himself said back in January that he expected to stay, and so far, that’s been the case.
Allen’s previous stint with the Raiders wasn’t exactly stellar—he went 8-28 before getting fired after a rough start to the 2014 season. His time with the Saints has been better, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement. If the team doesn’t make significant progress in 2024, Allen might find himself on the hot seat as the 2025 coaching carousel approaches.
