The Saints had a who's who of potential options to succeed Sean Payton as head coach, but Dennis Allen always felt like the clear pick.
And after the news broke that the Saints DC would be stepping into the head coach role, Bobby Hebert distilled his thoughts on exactly why he felt it was the "slam dunk" pick, alongside Mike Detillier on SportsTalk.
“We all would’ve been disappointed if Dennis Allen had not been the head coach," Hebert said. "You know why? … The last two years, look at the Saints defense, and the stud players, like a Cam Jordan, Demario Davis, Marshon Lattimore, how much they respect and trust Dennis Allen.”
Allen has served as the defensive coordinator for the Saints since 2015, with the emergence of a dominant defense out of the shambles of one of the NFL's worst groups representing one of the major feathers in his cap. The group led by his predecessor, Rob Ryan, allowed an astounding average of 6.6 yards per play, a mark that still stands as an NFL record. This past season, the Saints finished in the top five for both total defense and scoring defense for just the 5th time in franchise history.
Allen's 8-28 record in his first coaching stint with the Raiders might have raised red flags, but his performance in taking over for Payton in a 9-0 shutout of the Bucs likely went a long way in dispelling any potential concern.
"The culture that Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis established, they just pass the torch to Dennis Allen," Hebert said. "That’s why, even though Ryan Nielsen was the associate head coach, when Sean Payton was out with COVID one game, it wasn’t Pete Carmichael. It wasn’t Ryan Nielsen. Who was the head coach? Dennis Allen. ... [He] just looks like a successful head coach. But you’ve got to go out there and do it and win. That’s the bottom line.”
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WWL Radio sports director Kristian Garic called into the show to confirm the news, and had this to say: "It doesn't surprise me at all. ... For me I just feel like, what changes is he going to make to the staff? Because there's going to be some changes. Not wholesale, but a couple. And those will be interesting to see. And obviously they've got to see who the quarterback is."
As Detillier points out, the next steps will likely come in the form of a defensive coordinator hire, whether that comes as another in-house promotion or from outside the building. Potential candidates could be current defensive backs coach Kris Richard, or associate head coach Ryan Nielsen. The team will also have to decide who will call plays, with longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael representing another in-house option. Carmichael has called played in spot-duty twice, both impressive wins, and also called the plays during the 2012 season with Payton suspended.
“I would be shocked if … Dennis Allen does not think very highly of Pete Carmichael,” Hebert said.
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