Dennis Allen’s time with the New Orleans Saints is over.
A day after their seventh straight loss, the Saints fired Allen, who was in his third season as the franchise’s head coach. New Orleans got off to a 2-0 start but cratered over the next seven weeks and is now looking at another lost season. Allen finished his Saints coaching career with an 18-25 record.
Allen’s firing represents the Saints’ first in-season head coaching change since Tom Benson bought the franchise in 1985. The last Saints head coach to be fired midseason was Dick Nolan in 1980.
Let’s look at who will replace Allen this season and the top Saints head coach candidates for 2025.
Who Will Coach Saints in Week 10 After Dennis Allen Firing?
The Saints announced that special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi will serve as interim head coach after Allen’s firing. Rizzi has been New Orleans’ special teams coordinator since 2021 but also filled assistant head coaching duties for the last three seasons.
The 54-year-old’s only head coaching experience is in college. Rizzi led the University of New Haven from 1999 through 2001 and the University of Rhode Island in 2008.
Saints announcement: pic.twitter.com/g0JQzDhw2I
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 4, 2024
It’s not unprecedented for NFL teams to promote an interim head coach to a full-time head coach after a season. The Las Vegas Raiders are the most recent example, as Antonio Pierce was named the franchise’s head coach last offseason after holding interim duties in 2023 following Josh McDaniels’ firing.
However, the Saints will still conduct a full coaching search and look for someone capable of getting the franchise back on track.
Top Saints Head Coach Candidates for 2025
Before we look at the top candidates, it’s important to examine whether top candidates even would be interested in coaching the Saints.
Derek Carr, who isn’t a franchise quarterback, is signed through 2026 (when he isn’t guaranteed any money) and will carry a $51.4 million salary cap hit and a $30 million base salary in 2025. The Saints can get out of the deal in 2026, but next year is a problem.
They also have an aging roster with major needs on both sides of the ball. New Orleans entered the 2024 season with the fifth-oldest roster in the NFL (average age of 26.7).
But the cap is the biggest issue, one that could dissuade top candidates from joining the franchise. The Saints currently project to be $61.5 million over the cap in 2025. In fact, as noted by the founder of Over the Cap, New Orleans has just two players who would save the franchise more than $3 million if cut after the season.
The Saints are such a mess. About $60M over the cap next year. They only have two players who will save more than $3M if cut and 6 if increased to $2M. They need a few players to retire and Derek Carr to agree to help them out.
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) November 4, 2024
The Saints could create some cap relief by reworking contracts (especially Carr’s), but they likely won’t be in the business of adding top talent next offseason. At the end of the day, this is a bad roster with little hope for improving over the next two seasons.
Through Week 9, the Saints rank 18th in Pro Football Network’s Offense+ Metric (C-) and 19th in our Defense+ Metric (D+). They posted the sixth-most penalty yards per game (63.33) and allowed the seventh-most points per game (25.44).
This franchise is staring at a true rebuild. Candidates such as Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, and Bill Belichick likely won’t be interested.
With that in mind, let’s look at realistic Saints head coach candidates.
Bobby Slowik
Bobby Slowik could be one of the top head coaching candidates next offseason and might not be interested in the Saints. But that doesn’t mean New Orleans can’t try.
Slowik is in his second year as the Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator. He previously spent six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, including one season as offensive passing game coordinator. As a member of Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree, the 37-year-old Slowik, who garnered interest last offseason, likely will have many suitors.
It remains to be seen whether the Saints will prioritize an offensive-minded or defensive-minded head coach. But if they go with the former, Slowik would be a great choice.
Klint Kubiak
Klint Kubiak was the next big thing early in the season after the Saints’ offense dominated over the first two weeks. But the stark regression of New Orleans’ offense with and without Carr might’ve caused Kubiak to fall behind Rizzi as an interim candidate.
Nevertheless, Kubiak is a great offensive mind as well as another Shanahan disciple. After multiple stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos, Kubiak worked as the Niners’ passing game coordinator in 2023 when San Francisco made it to the Super Bowl.
If the Saints’ offense improves over the rest of the season, Kubiak could be primed for a promotion.
Aaron Glenn
A former NFL cornerback and the current defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, Aaron Glenn is already generating buzz as one of the top candidates for the Saints’ coaching vacancy.
A name that immediately comes to mind for New Orleans: Lions DC Aaron Glenn. He played and coached for the Saints before going to Detroit, where he leads a top-5 defense despite a slew of injuries. pic.twitter.com/RZ1bzZejwG
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) November 4, 2024
Glenn, who began his coaching career with the Cleveland Browns, also has experience in New Orleans. From 2016 through 2020, he worked as the Saints’ lead defensive backs coach before joining the Lions in 2021.
Glenn’s star has risen under Detroit head coach Dan Campbell, with the two collaborating to imbue the franchise with its physical, intimidating identity. That could be attractive to the Saints as they look to establish a new culture.
Joe Brady
Joe Brady is an intriguing candidate.
He’s young (35 years old) and doesn’t have much experience. However, Brady worked as an offensive assistant for the Saints in 2017 and 2018 and is an ascending offensive mind.
Brady served as the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021. He then joined the Buffalo Bills as a quarterbacks coach, a position he held for two seasons. Last season, Brady took over as interim offensive coordinator after Buffalo fired Ken Dorsey. Brady was promoted to full-time OC last winter.
Buffalo’s offense has remained formidable in 2024 despite losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis during the offseason. Quarterback Josh Allen obviously deserves much of the credit, but Brady’s done a great job of calling plays that cater to the offense’s strengths.
Brady might want to stay in Buffalo for a few more seasons before bolting for a top job. But someone at his age also might find it difficult to turn down a head coaching salary.
Brian Flores
Flores, who began his coaching career in 2008, coached the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through 2021 before his controversial firing. His subsequent racism-related lawsuit against the NFL could complicate matters, but time has passed, and Flores is now primed to be one of the top candidates next offseason.
Flores has done an excellent job since becoming the Vikings’ defensive coordinator in 2023. With him leading the way, Minnesota has arguably the NFL’s best defense this season.
Yes, Flores is another defensive-minded head coach, but he’s also a respected leader — unless you ask Tua Tagovailoa — and is ready for another opportunity. He’d be a great hire, and he might be willing to take a lesser job just to rejoin the head coaching ranks.