Tag: Head Coach

Dennis Allen ranked worst among NFL’s returning head coaches

This isn’t a glowing endorsement for Dennis Allen. The New Orleans Saints head coach was ranked worst among the NFL’s returning coaches by NBC Sports:

This isn’t a glowing endorsement for Dennis Allen. The New Orleans Saints head coach was graded worst among his peers by NBC Sports analyst Patrick Daugherty, clocking in at the bottom of the offseason coach rankings — at least among returning head coaches. The eight first-year coaches were also ranked beneath Allen, but that’s because they’re all relatively unknown quantities.

Unfortunately for Allen, we know exactly what he is and where his shortcomings lie. We’ll let Daugherty explain why Allen was ranked at No. 24 among the 24 head coaches returning from 2023:

“We lost a lot of bad coaches last winter. Arthur Smith, Brandon Staley, Josh McDaniels and Ron Rivera send their regards. That means we are left with the merely mediocre to round out our list. No one is more committed to the bit than Dennis Allen. A defensive coordinator trapped in a head coach’s body, Allen has treated Sean Payton’s leftover offense like a museum heirloom that disintegrates if you touch it. This is an attack that hasn’t innovated in three years, right down to banging Alvin Kamara between the tackles for no reason and rushing Taysom Hill onto the field any time there’s a critical down. Well, it’s not entirely true there’s been no innovation. Allen has decided to find out just how boring Drew Brees-style quarterbacking can become. Andy Dalton pushed the envelope in 2022. Derek Carr reached new heights in 2023. Allen, who admittedly takes care of business on defense, has finally moved on from Payton Ball on offense but replaced it with … Kubiak Ball. Not Gary, but Klint. It’s a fine system in a vacuum. It’s also become mummified under Klint, with no new wrinkles inserted since the Peyton Manning days in Denver. Maybe 2023 49ers passing-game coordinator Klint learned something under coach Kyle Shanahan. That’s what the Saints’ season and Allen’s future employment hinges on: This old Kubiak dog picking up some new Shanahan tricks. I suppose there are worse plans, but I’m not seeing many for 2024.”

That uncalled-for shot at Taysom Hill aside — the Saints have used him on critical downs because he’s more reliable than anyone else, being one of 11 players in the NFL with a positive success rate as both a runner and receiver on 100-plus touches — this is a good assessment of the trouble the Saints have found themselves in.

Allen was either unable or unwilling to replace Pete Carmichael when it was clear he couldn’t call a functional offense in 2022, and he bet big on Derek Carr covering up Carmichael’s shortcomings in 2023. That’s a bet he lost, which is why the offensive coaching staff was overhauled from the top down.

Now Allen is gambling again, hoping that Kubiak will run an offense styled more strongly after Shanahan’s example than what we’ve seen when Kubiak called plays in the past. With the odds stacked against him, he has to be hoping for this plan to pay off.

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Chiefs wish head coach Andy Reid a happy 66th birthday

The #Chiefs wished head coach Andy Reid a happy 66th birthday on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs made one of the most consequential moves in the franchise’s history by hiring veteran head coach Andy Reid in 2013.

Under his watch, Kansas City has grown into a perennial contender, and secured three Super Bowl victories over the last five years.

On Tuesday, Reid celebrated his 66th birthday, and the Chiefs took to Twitter to wish him well on his big day:

While Reid is among the oldest head coaches currently in the NFL ranks, his youthful demeanor and excitement on the sideline captivate audiences around the country every time he is shown on television broadcasts.

One of the most accomplished coaches in football, Reid has cemented his place in league history with the impressive run of success that Kansas City has accomplished in recent seasons.

Expect fans and commentators around the country to join the Chiefs in wishing the long-tenured skipper a happy birthday on Tuesday.

Does Saints’ quiet offseason reflect on Dennis Allen’s job security?

Dennis Allen was thought to be on the hot seat heading into 2024, but the lack of aggression in free agency could suggest otherwise:

The New Orleans Saints’ inactivity in free agency could reflect Dennis Allen’s job security. Many have believed Allen is entering the 2024 season on the hot seat, having failed to reach the playoffs in either of his first two years on the job. That may be the case, but the Saints’ moves don’t suggest the team nor Allen feels the pressure. They’ve made limited additions, only signing one player who could be a starter.

New Orleans has never been afraid to make a splash even when it may have seemed the salary cap wouldn’t allow them to. Years of cap gymnastics should show us the Saints will find a way to do what they want. If they aren’t aggressive, one can only assume the Saints don’t want to be. It’s not a stretch to relate that to the organization’s mentality heading into the season.

If Allen truly felt his job was on the line, he should be more proactive in lobbying to improve a team that limped to a winning record in 2023. They’re essentially running it back with their same core players. Maybe the offense just needed a year to build chemistry, which may carry over with the new coaching staff. Maybe Allen just doesn’t know what he’s doing.

Both are plausible explanations, but either way the Saints aren’t moving like a team that feels it needs to be significantly better in the fall. It’s also possible that general manager Mickey Loomis does see a future where Allen isn’t coaching this team in 2025 and beyond. If that’s the case, spending carefully and responsibly on free agents in 2024 to help get the books in order for 2025 would make sense. Allen has his quarterback, his new offensive coaching staff, and a ton of returning starters. How much more does he need to get this team to the playoffs?

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PHOTO GALLERY: Alabama’s start to spring practice

The Kalen DeBoer era is underway in Tuscaloosa. Check out the top photos from Alabama football’s start to spring practice.

A new era has begun in Tuscaloosa led by Nick Saban’s successor, Kalen DeBoer. Reality has set in that the legendary head coach has retired and the Crimson Tide is under new direction as spring football practices have begun.

Plenty of time sits in between today and the team’s first game of the 2024 season, but there is much to get done. DeBoer is still in the early stages of figuring out the roster and will have to revisit it after the spring transfer portal window opens and closes.

For now, returning players and newcomers are answering to DeBoer and the brand-new staff, which features only a handful of returning coaches.

Below are the top images so far from the first few spring practices that have taken place, which show the coaches in action and players training hard to maintain the Crimson Tide’s high expectations and national championship-winning standard.

How much pressure is Kalen DeBoer under in his first season?

New Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer has an unprecedented amount of pressure on him in his first season in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer is entering a situation unlike any other. He must replace one of the greatest coaches of all time, take over a legendary program and maintain his prior successes.

Last season, DeBoer took Washington to the national championship, but fell short of winning it. He had some high-quality, impressive wins along the way.

Crimson Tide fans have grown accustomed to one thing under Nick Saban: winning.

Whether on the recruiting trail or on the field, Saban has led the Alabama program to countless wins, some aren’t even quantifiable. DeBoer has been tasked with not just maintaining what Saban built, but to improve upon it.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg recently ranked DeBoer as the coach with the most to prove heading into the 2024 season.

“DeBoer just took Washington to the national title game in only his second year — two seasons after the team went 4-8 — so this designation feels a bit unfair, but so are Alabama’s expectations after Nick Saban’s historic tenure. If the College Football Playoff remained at four teams, DeBoer could miss them during a transition year and be given somewhat of a pass. But Alabama expects to be part of the 12-team field every year, and if DeBoer falls short, the pressure and comparisons to Saban will reach nauseating levels in Tuscaloosa.”

There’s no doubt that DeBoer understands and appreciates the unprecedented position he finds himself in. However, it is all about how he responds to it. Unfortunately, we will not have an answer to that until the start of the 2024 season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football as the 2024 offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Broncos might have a future defensive coordinator in Jim Leonhard

Either with the Broncos or another team, Jim Leonhard seems to be on track to eventually get a defensive coordinator job in the NFL.

The Denver Broncos made two additions to their coaching staff on Wednesday, officially hiring Pete Carmichael as senior offensive assistant and Jim Leonhard as defensive pass game coordinator/defensive backs coach.

Leonhard, 41, is a huge hire for a positional coach.

The former NFL safety spent 2016-2022 coaching at his alma mater, Wisconsin. After starting out as a defensive backs coach, he was quickly promoted to defensive coordinator before later becoming the team’s interim head coach.

Leonhard spent last fall as a senior football analyst at Illinois. Before that, he interviewed for two defensive coordinator openings in the NFL (as our friend Joey Richards of “Let’s Talk Broncos” pointed out on Twitter/X).

Leonhard interviewed for — and was offered — the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator job in 2021, but he turned them down, opting to remain with the Badgers. Two years later, Leonhard interviewed for the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator opening, but they hired Sean Desai instead.

The fact that Leonhard has already interviewed for DC jobs in the NFL suggests that he will likely land a DC role at some point in the future, either with the Broncos or another team.

We know that current DC Vance Joseph would like to become a head coach again. Perhaps if Denver’s defense has a standout year in 2024, Joseph might be considered for head coach openings next January. If Joseph does leave the Broncos at some point (by his own choice or otherwise), Leonhard will be an obvious candidate to replace him.

Leonhard is overqualified for a defensive backs coach position (despite “pass game coordinator” being in the name). He will likely get a promotion before long, the only question is if that will happen in Denver or elsewhere.

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UCLA fills head coach vacancy

Big Ten coaching news:

UCLA is hiring running backs coach Deshaun Foster to be the school’s next head coach, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

The school’s head coach job became vacant when Chip Kelly left to take the offensive coordinator position at Ohio State. The coaching carousel musical chairs are complicated. Kelly took Bill O’Brien’s position at Ohio State, which he held for three weeks before leaving for the Boston College vacancy. That vacancy at BC was open because former head coach Jeff Hafley took the defensive coordinator job with the Green Bay Packers.

Related: Win totals released for Wisconsin, every Big Ten team in 2024 football season

The chain of events are complicated, but they’ve led to Foster getting the UCLA job.

Foster was a second-round pick out of UCLA in the 2002 NFL draft. He played in the league for seven years, six with the Carolina Panthers (2002-2007) and one with the San Francisco 49ers (2008).

Related: Social media roasted a Wisconsin legend during the Super Bowl broadcast

The young coach began his coaching career at UCLA as a graduate assistant in 2014. He spent 2016 as running backs coach at Texas Tech before returning to UCLA, where he has been the running backs coach since 2017.

Kelly, meanwhile, was on thin ice throughout last season and had been seeking NFL coordinator jobs for weeks. His move to Ohio State shouldn’t have surprised anybody.

The Bruins will rely on Foster, someone with zero head coaching experience, to guide the program into the new era of the Big Ten.

Report: P.J. Fleck may leave Minnesota for another Big Ten job

This would be hilarious…

The coaching carousel chairs never seem to stop turning in college football. It’s Feb. 9, yet coaches are taking other jobs as if its the middle of bowl season.

The changes on Friday are significant to Wisconsin and the rest of the Big Ten landscape. First, Ohio State offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien took the Boston College opening. Then, it was reported that current UCLA head coach Chip Kelly is leaving to take the Ohio State OC job.

Related: Where Wisconsin Badgers stand in first expanded Big Ten 2024 recruiting rankings

The moves leave UCLA without a head coach. That prompted Stadium’s Brett McMurphy to offer:”Expect Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck among UCLA’s top candidates.”

Fleck made headlines early at Minnesota, peaking with an 11-2 2019 season. The program went south in 2023 as the Gophers went 6-7 and failed again to win a very winnable Big Ten West.

Minnesota can’t do much better than Fleck given its place in the college football ecosystem, but perhaps the veteran head coach is looking for a fresh start.

From a Wisconsin perspective, it would be a hilarious move to see happen. Fleck would remain in the conference and still play the Badgers, but this time do so in Los Angeles — a place it feels like he would fit in perfectly.

Dennis Allen disagrees with Peyton Manning on the ‘halftime adjustments’ myth

Peyton Manning insists that ‘halftime adjustments’ are a myth in the NFL. While Dennis Allen doesn’t fully agree with that take, he does think they’re overrated:

Tune into an NFL broadcast and you’ll hear the same line whenever teams head to their locker rooms at the end of the second quarter: it’s an opportunity to make some adjustments at halftime. Coaches will grab a whiteboard and some markers and get into the X’s and O’s to explain what they’ll be doing differently after the break. Captains stand up and fire up their teammates with a passionate speech.

But there’s just one problem: this rarely happens. And there isn’t a bigger critic of the scene than Peyton Manning.

“I don’t think I ever made a halftime adjustment in my entire 18 year career,” Manning said during a recent appearance on the Monday night Manningcast with his brother Eli. “I think that’s the biggest myth in football. You go in, use the restroom, eat a couple of oranges, and then head coach says ‘Alright, let’s go.'”

And a lot of coaches and players agree with him. Logistically, there isn’t enough time to sprint from the field to the locker room and break down film or analyze big plays — if any coaches or coordinators are working from the booth eight or nine stories above the field, they have to hustle into an elevator and work their way through the stadium’s inner corridors to meet the rest of the team. Getting all of that done in 13 minutes is a tall order.

But you’ll find some peopole in football who feel differently, or at least they don’t agree with Peyton’s stance. One of them is New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen, who told NFL Films: “Well I don’t know if I totally agree with ‘halftime adjustments are a myth,’ I think they’re overblown.”

Allen is known for coaching a strong second half. Last year his defense allowed 0.57 fewer yards per play in the second half, a difference of 447.8 yards over the course of the season. They gave up 10 fewer touchdowns after the halftime break than before it. Opposing offenses converted 45 fewer first downs in the second half against the Saints in 2023.

So if it’s not a big sit-down and film study during the break, what is it? Why are the Saints such a strong second-half defense with Allen at the helm? One of Allen’s mentors clarified the point — his predecessor Sean Payton says that while there isn’t a big shift at halftime, coaches are talking on headsets all afternoon. They’re consistently in each other’s ear sharing information and communicating about what’s working and what isn’t. That continuous flow leads to adjustments throughout the game, not just at halftime.

Unless they’re playing in the Super Bowl, anyway. Payton reflected on his and Allen’s win in Super Bowl XLIV, and the 30-minute halftime that came with it. He says that extra time gave players time to change into clean socks and shirts and, most importantly, it afforded him time to think over his approach to the second half. Which meant the iconic “Ambush” onside kick to start the third quarter and a designed drive ending with a Pierre Thomas screen play that saw the running back dive into the end zone for a touchdown.

And who did Payton, Allen, and the Saints beat for that Super Bowl victory? None other than Peyton Manning. Maybe he and his coaches should have spent more time going over their plans at halftime after all.

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Twitter reacts to resurfaced Andy Reid mic’d up moments

Fans on Twitter couldn’t get enough of these resurfaced clips of Andy Reid’s top mic’d up moments.

Andy Reid is one of the most beloved figures in Kansas City Chiefs history and has cemented himself as the franchise’s preeminent head coach ahead of the team’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

Reid has already won two rings in Kansas City since joining the Chiefs in 2013, and there are no signs that his reign of dominance in the AFC will end any time soon.

As America waited for Super Bowl Sunday, clips of Reid’s top mic’d up moments surfaced on social media channels, giving fans a look at his coaching style before Kansas City’s tilt against San Francisco.

From his days spent with the Philadelphia Eagles to his current tenure with the Chiefs, these clips are fascinating for their portrayal of Reid’s interactions with his players and serve as an introduction to his quietly bombastic personality.

Check out some of Twitter’s top reactions to Reid’s legendary mic’d up moments: