Monday, Novemb
The New Orleans Saints fired Head Coach Dennis Allen after the Saints lost by 1 point to the Carolina Panthers yesterday, killing any chance the Saints still had of making it to the playoffs. This was a “mercy firing.”
Last year, I talked extensively about how the fundamental problem facing the Saints was their coach and what appeared to be his lack of leadership qualities. Saints GM Mickey Loomis and even a few sports experts suggested that Dennis Allen was the right man for the job.
Those who know Dennis Allen talked about what a nice guy he is and he might be the nicest guy in the world, but that does not translate into being an effective head coach. Allen was the Saints Defensive Coordinator and when Sean Payton left for greener pastures, the Saints elevated Allen to the head coaching position. The Saints promoted Allen to the fans as a competent leader with head coaching experience, though his record as a head coach was dismal. Promoting from within the organization was the easy decision, but not the right decision.
What tipped me off about the lack of leadership from Allen came from the unusual calm of the head coach’s demeanor following embarrassing losses by the Saints. Earlier this season after one of those embarrassing losses, Allen actually got pissed off and raised his voice and used a few choice words, only to apologize for showing that emotion. Fans were frustrated that both Dennis Allen and QB Derek Carr remained so calm and matter-of-fact after the Saints were pitiful on the field with no good explanations as to why they lost. If you really care about something, and if you have true passion, it is not normal to remain so unconditionally calm.
The 23-22 loss to the Panthers was shocking and after the game, Dennis Allen remained very calm and unphased and repeated the same things: “We’ve got to be better.” That was Allen’s mantra after every loss. That tells me that there’s a lack of passion and a lack of understanding of the overall situation.
And it’s not all Dennis Allen’s fault. Years ago I read a book titled, “The Peter Principle” by Laurence J. Peter. Essentially, the book explained a theory that most people reach a point where they are promoted to a level of incompetence. This is especially true with bureaucracies. An employee does a great job at their position and they are promoted. They do a great job at that position and they are promoted again. Exceeding at their new position they are promoted again, but this time they are promoted to the point where they are no longer capable of performing their new duties.
Dennis Allen was a good defensive coordinator, but he is not head coaching material. So Allen was prompted by the Saints to a level of incompetence. Dennis Allen will probably become a defensive coordinator again for another team and I wish him well. It wasn’t his fault that he was promoted to a level beyond his ability. Not everyone is a head coach.
The players should not get off without criticism too. Many players were busting their asses out there, but many were not. Dropped passes and the constant failures to tackle showed fans that the Saints were not collectively prepared mentally for every game. I believe mentally preparing a team for a game is largely the job of the head coach and that’s not a strong point for Dennis Allen.
Saints GM Mickey Loomis is part of the Saints “family” and upper management seems to be treated as a family. Has Loomis lost his passion? Loomis is also head of the New Orleans Pelicans. Does his role with the Pelicans distract from his focus on the Saints? Only Mickey Loomis can answer that question. I would hope that Mickey has not lost his passion to make the Saints great again and New Orleans should not be satisfied with winning only one Superbowl. The fans deserve a team that has the goal of reaching the playoffs every season and I don’t think that has been the case.
Keeping fans in the stands is the key objective for the Saints from a business standpoint. The fans have become restless, and rightfully so, with the attitude that has emanated from the head coach and the players the past few years. If the long-time dedicated fan base of the New Orleans Saints begins to weaken, that’s a big problem for upper management. And it is the fans that are now so disgruntled with the head coach and the team that the Saints were forced to make the decision to fire Dennis Allen.
The one thing NFL fans cling to every season is the hope that their team has a chance to make it to the playoffs - and many even the Super Bowl. But the past few seasons the dedicated fans of the New Orleans Saints have lost that hope.
In the song “Closing Time” by Semisonic - there’s a line that fits this moment for Saints fans: “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
The firing of Dennis Allen is an end that invites a new beginning. Let’s hope the Saints don’t make the mistake of making the easy choice this time.
