Tag: Coach

Ex-Broncos DC Jack Del Rio arrested for OWI

Jack Del Rio was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, 61, was arrested last Friday for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, it was reported on Monday. Del Rio ran into a street sign and broke a fence, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

Del Rio was a defensive coordinator in Denver from 2012-14, under head coach John Fox, before becoming a head coach in Oakland and Washington.

Prior to his arrest, Del Rio was a senior advisor to University of Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell. After his arrest, Del Rio resigned his post, according to ESPN.

“I’m grateful to Coach Fickell and the University of Wisconsin for the opportunity to work with such a talented coaching and support staff and some of the best young football players in the country,” Del Rio said in a statement Monday. “I have decided to step away from my position with the team, so they can focus all their attention on the remainder of the season.”

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Internal and external pressure led Gayle Benson to fire Dennis Allen

Internal feedback from players and external pressure from frustrated fans led Gayle Benson to fire Saints head coach Dennis Allen:

Gayle Benson made an unprecedented decision to fire New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen this week after the team’s 2-7 start to the season, and it took a combination of internal feedback from players and external pressure from frustrated fans to sway her mind.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that Benson and her ownership group “was hearing from the fan base in a way they hadn’t before, and their resolve was strengthened through that, to the point where perception inside the building holds that Allen might’ve been fired Monday even if he’d beaten the Carolina Panthers.”

That lines up with reporting from NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, who wrote that Benson had spoken with several players to gauge their feel for the team’s direction. And what they told her wasn’t good.

Benson, who inherited the team from her late husband in 2018, had been content to trust Loomis on football decisions. But his trust in a coach with a losing record even before the Saints hired him warranted reevaluation. Loomis later told NOF’s Mike Triplett that he characterized it as more of an “organization decision” than a serious disagreement with Benson.

Still, at the end of the day this is Benson’s team, and this was her decision to make. Allen was a big part of their success in the playoff pushes of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, but by now it’s clear he wasn’t cut out to be a full-time head coach. He’ll be searching for his next opportunity elsewhere. Loomis and Benson will be looking for their next coach.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Will Sean Payton find a role for Dennis Allen on Broncos’ staff?

After being fired by the Saints, perhaps Dennis Allen could land a role with Sean Payton’s Broncos?

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has 14 former New Orleans Saints coaches and staff members on his staff in Denver.

Perhaps another name will soon be added to the list.

The Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen earlier this week. Allen, 52, had two different stints under Payton with the Saints, including a run as the team’s defensive coordinator from 2015-2021.

The Broncos already have a defensive coordinator in Vance Joseph, but Payton could probably find a role for Allen.

On offense, Payton hired ex-Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi in 2023 to serve as Denver’s offensive coordinator. One year later, New Orleans fired offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. The Broncos already had a coordinator in Lombardi, so Payton hired Carmichael as a “senior offensive assistant.”

It wouldn’t shock anyone if Payton now created a defensive assistant role for Allen.

Earlier this season, the New York Jets fired Robert Saleh and he quickly landed as a consultant with the Green Bay Packers. Time will tell if Allen might land a similar gig in Denver.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Saints will add a new coach to their staff after promoting Darren Rizzi

Darren Rizzi announced the Saints are bringing in a new assistant coach. With his attention divided, Marwan Maalouf will assist with special teams operations:

New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi announced the team is bringing in a new assistant coach. Marwan Maalouf will assist Phil Galiano in their special teams operations. Rizzi spoke on WWL Radio Monday afternoon to announce the hiring, which came mere hours after his promotion.

Galiano will likely take on many of the duties on special teams coordinating for the Saints, as he has been the assistant coach for them since 2019. However, adding in an additional coach to help out and let Rizzi build out his own staff a little bit is not a bad idea. Rizzi and Maalouf worked together in multiple instances including from 2013 to 2018 with the Miami Dolphins, and 2002 to 2003 at Rutgers.

They are now reunited after a few years away with Rizzi moving on to New Orleans, while Maalouf went on to be the special teams coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings from 2019 to 2020.

Ultimately, who knows if the Saints keep Rizzi or not after the season, but letting him make additions of his own and give himself a chance to prove himself is definitely a good choice. We will see how the special teams units look with Rizzi taking on a much larger role now at interim head coach.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Dennis Allen and Derek Carr make unfortunate history together

Dennis Allen and Derek Carr made unfortunate history together. Allen is the first NFL coach to be fired by two teams with the same starting quarterback:

There are many head coaches who have been fired from multiple teams. Dennis Allen is the first head coach in NFL history, however, to be fired from two teams with the same quarterback at the helm.

Derek Carr was with Allen with the Oakland Raiders for a year and has been a part of of the New Orleans Saints since 2023. You may wonder why Allen would partner up with Carr again if the first attempt ended so badly.

In Allen’s defense, it wouldn’t be fair to point to Carr as the reason he was fired in Oakland. Allen lasted just four games into Carr’s rookie season. Not only is a player not truly developed as a rookie, the partnership lasted less than a handful of games. The issues in Oakland went further back than Carr’s tenure.

Allen handpicked the veteran version of Carr as the quarterback who was supposed to solve the issues. That didn’t happen. Unlike in Oakland, Carr played a big role in this firing.

Long stint or less than a season, veteran or rookie. The fact each time Dennis Allen lost his job as head coach Derek Carr was the quarterback is a very unfortunate piece of history that likely won’t be replicated any time soon

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Dennis Allen’s firing officially begins the Saints rebuild

After fighting the rebuild for years, the Saints are about to dive head first into one, and it started with firing Dennis Allen:

The New Orleans Saints announced the firing of Dennis Allen Monday morning. It’s the first time New Orleans has fired a coach in the middle of the season since firing Dick Nolan in 1980. This move signifies the beginning of a rebuild the Saints have been eluding for a couple of years.

When Sean Payton retired, the Saints replaced him with Allen, an in-house candidate. That’s not something you do when you’re even pondering a rebuild. After an unsuccessful campaign, Allen went to grab is old quarterback, Derek Carr, from the Las Vegas Raiders.

Grabbing a veteran quarterback who you feel can elevate your immediate future is also not something to do when considering a rebuild. The roster wasn’t good at that point, but the Saints fought it. There’s no more fighting. Firing Dennis Allen is essentially waiving the white flag.

The new head coach may decide to move on from older players and eat a lot of dead money to get a full restart in his second year. Offensive and defensive approaches will change and you will likely see a different prototype of players on the defensive line specifically.

The Saints have been under Dennis Allen’s offense for the better part of a decade. The new coach is going to bring his guys in, which will lead to a different style of defense.

Everything will be different around New Orleans in 2025. After fighting the rebuild for years, the Saints are about to dive head first into one, and it started with firing the head coach.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Dennis Allen’s firing was a ‘message heard loud and clear’

Dennis Allen’s firing was a ‘message heard loud and clear’ to the New Orleans Saints locker room:

Dennis Allen being fired by the New Orleans Saints after Sunday’s 23-22 road loss to the Carolina Panther sis nothing short of unsurprising.

The Saints continued to hit new lows (something that has been a bit of a trend as it is this season) as they declined to a seven-game losing streak. Injuries, poor play, and other elements have contributed to the Saints’ misfortune, but there is no question that coaching also played a role.

The players don’t appear to be shocked by the move, either, with Katherine Terrell of ESPN reporting that one player told her that Allen’s firing was “a message heard loud and clear.”

With the number of players like Cam Jordan who have taken the time to apologize to the fan base on social media after games and some of the discord related to family members of current Saints players or former Saints players themselves that has occurred on social media, it’s clear Allen had lost any true loyalty or following well before this decision was made.

“Dennis has been part of our organization for many years. He is highly regarded within the NFL. He has been extremely loyal and professional and most importantly an excellent football coach for us. All of this makes today very tough for me and our organization,” the statement from Saints owner Gayle Benson read. “However, this decision is something that I felt we needed to make at this time. I wish nothing but the best in the future for Dennis and his family.”

Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi will serve as the interim head coach as the Saints begin their search for a replacement.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

BREAKING: New Orleans Saints fire head coach Dennis Allen

BREAKING: New Orleans Saints fire head coach Dennis Allen

There it is. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the New Orleans Saints have fired head coach Dennis Allen in the wake of Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers. Allen’s team had slumped into a 2-7 start to his third season, putting him at 18-25 to this point with New Orleans.

Something needed to change. This was an unprecedented move — the Saints hadn’t fired a coach in-season since 1980, but the team’s lack of success  demanded action. Even if Allen’s dismissal doesn’t turn their season around, it’s a clear indication that ownership is engaged and things will go differently moving forward.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned for word on who will be named the interim coach and how the Saints will approach Tuesday’s NFL trade  deadline.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Where the Saints are picking in the 2025 NFL draft after Week 9

The Saints continue to rise in the projected 2025 NFL draft order after Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. Here’s where they would pick if the draft started today:

Things continue to go from bad to worse for the New Orleans Saints, with the team most recently falling 23-22 to the Carolina Panthers on the road Sunday.

It makes matters even worse that the Saints were slightly favored heading into the game, with Carolina holding just one win this season before recording their second victory today.

The only silver lining for the Saints, that now ride a sobering seven-game losing streak after opening the season with a bang and two consecutive wins, is that they rank quite highly in the projected 2025 NFL draft order now.

Here’s a look at where the Saints are listed and after the Week 9 loss and the full draft order projection from Talkathon:

  • Round 1, No. 3 overall
  • Round 2, No. 34 overall
  • Round 3, No. 65 overall
  • Round 4, No. 108 overall
  • Round 5, No. 144 overall
  • Round 7, No. 252 overall (projected compensatory pick)

The Saints will try to get back on track when they face the visiting Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, who lead the NFC South. Considering how hot the Falcons are after playing their most complete game of the season and the fact they won the most recent matchup against the Saints, things don’t exactly bode well for Dennis Allen’s team.

In the event of a Falcons victory, Atlanta will sweep the series and the Saints will only continue to rise up the draft order (which may simply be in their best interest at this point in the midst of a lost season).

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Sean Payton to face off against ‘good coaching friend’ John Harbaugh

“I would consider him a good coaching friend,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said of Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

The Denver Broncos will face the Baltimore Ravens this weekend, and all eyes will be on legendary coaches Sean Payton and John Harbaugh.

Both men are past Super Bowl champions and have their teams, 5-3, primed for an AFC playoff run. Sunday’s showdown will have big playoff implications.

Payton and Harbaugh’s relationship goes back a long way, and Payton reflected on their working relationship during his media availability on Friday.

“We worked together for a year in Philadelphia,” Payton said. “My second year in the league I think was his first year. So my first year was [1997], and then I think John was hired in ’98. We were together under [former Eagles head coach] Ray Rhodes in 1998.

“I ended up at the Giants. John obviously was with Philly for quite a while, and then became a head coach. So I got to know him and his family well, and I would consider him a good coaching friend.”

The friendship will turn into a rivalry for four quarters on Sunday when Payton and Harbaugh face off at 11:00 a.m. MT on select CBS networks.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]