The New Orleans Saints fired offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael on Tuesday, and head coach Dennis Allen had no other choice than to look in a new direction. Offensive play calling was an issue in 2023, marking two years in a row with subpar offense performance. A failed tenure in New Orleans would likely be Allen’s last chance as a head coach. Trusting the offense to improve under the same coordinator is a risk he was smart to avoid.
About halfway through the season, it became clear both Carmichael couldn’t be returning in 2024. A drastic turnaround would have needed to occur for that to change. Things got better towards the end of the season, particularly in the red zone after the Saints doubled their weekly practice reps in scoring position, but it was too little too late. Carmichael’s fate was sealed.
With his job on the line, Allen had to make a change. Finding a new offensive play caller was probably the most obvious change to make. Now the next step in that process is in front of him: finding the right play caller who can maximize Derek Carr’s strengths and minimize his weaknesses while revitalizing a rushing offense that has eroded over the years. Moving on from Carmichael was the easy call. The hard part is going to be replacing him with an upgrade.