Saints hiring Dennis Allen as head coach

The final head coaching vacancy has been filled.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Saints are promoting defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to be their head coach.

Allen was the favorite all along to replace Sean Payton, who stepped down from his position as Saints head coach on Jan. 25.

Allen was in his second stint as a Saints assistant coach under Payton. He was the assistant defensive line coach from 2006-2007 before becoming the secondary coach from 2008-2010. After a season as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator, he was hired as the Raiders’ head coach. But that tenure was largely unsuccessful, as Allen was fired after four games in his third season with an 8-28 record.

Allen returned to New Orleans in 2015 as a senior defensive assistant. But he was promoted to defensive coordinator in November of that season to replace Rob Ryan. He had held that same position ever since.

Allen served as the Saints’ interim head coach in Week 15 when Payton was out due to COVID-19. New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay 9-0 on Sunday Night Football.