Saints Fire Dennis Allen After 23-22 Loss to Panthers; Darren Rizzi Named Interim Head Coach

Nov 4, 2024, 03:06 PM

The New Orleans Saints have fired head coach Dennis Allen following a 23-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers, marking their seventh consecutive defeat after starting the season 2-0 with back-to-back 40-point games. This is the first midseason head coaching change by the Saints since 1996 when Jim Mora resigned, and the first midseason firing since 1980 when Dick Nolan was dismissed. Dennis Allen, who had an 18-25 record over two-plus seasons with the Saints, has been fired as head coach for the second time in his career, both times with Derek Carr as his starting quarterback. With an overall head coaching record of 26-53 (.329), Allen holds one of the worst winning percentages among NFL head coaches with a minimum of 75 games. The Saints have named special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi as their interim head coach. The team may undergo a roster reset before the upcoming trade deadline, with Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore among the players teams have inquired about.