The New Orleans Saints have begun their offseason shakeup by firing three coaches, including longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.
Such moves were teased by head coach Dennis Allen and Mickey Loomis following the end of the 2023 season, the third consecutive year with a narrow miss of the postseason, and the second of which came down to the final week of the season needing help. Allen noted necessary culture shifts and changes in his end-of-year press conference.
The Saints also fired senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell and WRs coach Kodi Burns.
"These types of decisions are never easy to come to, but are necessary as we move forward," Allen said in a release.
Saints GM Mickey Loomis has not yet addressed the media in his typical end-of-season press conference, but that is expected to happen in the coming days.
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The move from Carmichael marks a significant sea change, and one of the most prominent coaches from the Sean Payton era now headed out of town. Carmichael has been a member of the Saints staff since 2006, and held the post of offensive coordinator since 2009. He was thrust into more of the spotlight beginning in 2022 with the sudden departure of Sean Payton and the decision to stick with the status quo while promoting Allen to HC. Results have been mixed, and an offensive uptick at the end of the year was not enough to sway the ultimate decision.
The Saints shook up the defensive staff prior to the 2022 season, but opted to stick with a majority of the offensive staff heading into Year 2 of the Allen regime. The biggest shakeup came at quarterback, with Carmichael and Derek Carr was expected to lead to an offensive resurgence, but it was slow starting. The Saints offense failed to crack 20 points in any of their first four games and struggled mightily in the first half of losses to the Texans, Jaguars and Vikings, all winnable games that came down to the final possession. Conversely the Saints scored 20 points or more in each of their final six games, comprising a 4-2 closing stretch that included a pair of double-digit wins over the Bucs and Falcons.
A logical landing spot for Carmichael, whether at OC or in a different capacity, will be in Denver where he could reunite with Payton and a host of former Saints players.
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The more surprising moves came in the form of Bicknell and Burns, who were hired prior to the 2022 season. Burns led the development of a trio of young WRs in Rashid Shaheed, Chris Olave and rookie A.T. Perry, but the Saints will be moving a different direction at coach while likely maintaining the offensive focus with those playmakers.
The Saints have only begun their evaluation process and it's possible that there are other changes along the coaching staff down the line. One name to keep an eye on will be RBs coach Joel Thomas, who has been in that position since 2015. Thomas was reportedly requested to interview for that same position with the New York Giants, an interview the Saints could've blocked but chose not to.