Tag: Pete Carmichael

Pete Carmichael joining Sean Payton’s Broncos coaching staff

That didn’t take long. Ex-Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is joining Sean Payton’s Broncos coaching staff:

That didn’t take long. Jeff Duncan reports for the Times-Picayune | Advocate that ex-New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is joining Sean Payton’s coaching staff on the Denver Broncos, though his exact role is unknown; expect Carmichael to carry some sort of senior assistant title and get back to what he did best in New Orleans while drawing up plays behind the scenes.

Carmichael was let go after an 18-year run with the Saints, having spent most of that time as Payton’s offensive coordinator. He only rarely called plays and struggled in that role the last two years after Payton left the team. Now he’s going to Denver for a reunion with Payton and former coworkers including Zach Strief, Mike Westhoff, Joe Vitt, John Morton, and Joe Lombardi, among others.

It’s hardly surprising that Carmichael is teaming up with Payton. They’ve worked well together before. They’re also facing a tough task in getting the Broncos offense up to snuff, with or without Russell Wilson at quarterback. Odds are Carmichael won’t be the last former Saints coach or player to go out West and reunite with Payton. The Broncos are scheduled to play a road game in New Orleans in 2024, so stay tuned for that dramatic matchup at the Caesars Superdome.

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6 reasons the Saints missed the playoffs in 2023

An inconsistent offense and too-slow defensive line highlight six reasons why the New Orleans Saints missed the playoffs in 2023:

The New Orleans Saints missed the playoffs for the third season in a row. Fingers can be pointed in multiple different directions, and that’s exactly what we’re here to do. Neither side of the ball held up their side of the bargain this year.

The offense didn’t truly get it together until the season was nearing its conclusion, while the defense showed it can’t carry the team. They shouldn’t be relied to do that anymore. These are the six reasons the Saints missed the playoffs.

Instant analysis on Saints interview requests and coaching staff moves

We’re tracking Saints interview requests with instant analysis on every coaching staff move. Check this space often for updates:

The 2024 offseason has kicked off in earnest for the New Orleans Saints: longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is out, as are multiple position coaches and assistants.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen will be back and he’s hard at work rebuilding his staff, looking for upgrades to get them back to the playoffs in 2024. We’re keeping up with every interview request and staff change as they’re reported, so check this space often for updates.

Here’s what we know so far:

Bengals quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher to interview for Saints OC job

Bengals QB coach Dan Pitcher to interview for the Saints offensive coordinator job after helping Jake Browning fill in for Joe Burrow:

We’ve got movement: after dismissing Pete Carmichael onTuesday, the New Orleans Saints are seeking an interview with a potential replacement on Wednesday in Dan Pitcher, the Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks coach, as reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones confirmed that the Saints requested an interview with Pitcher.

Pitcher, 37, has worked with the Bengals since 2016 after starting his career as a scout with the Indianapolis Colts back in 2012. He initially coached wide receivers for Cincinnati before being reassigned to the quarterbacks when Zac Taylor was hired as head coach in 2019.

He’s played a key role in developing Joe Burrow and other quarterbacks the Bengals have picked up over the years; it was his responsibility to work with backup quarterback Jake Browning when Burrow went down with a season-ending injury this season. The Bengals went 4-3 with Browning under center and finished the year with a winning record.

We’ll see if anything manifests beyond this interview. Pitcher has drawn a lot of attention (he twice met with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year when they were looking for a new OC) and he’s someone Taylor has pointed to as a coach with a good eye for game management, which is something the Saints have lacked on offense. Stay tuned.

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Moving on from Pete Carmichael was a move Dennis Allen had to make

Dennis Allen’s job is on the line in 2024. He had no choice other than to move on from offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael:

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.

Moving on from Pete Carmichael is just part of the Saints’ path forward

Moving on from Pete Carmichael is just part of the Saints’ path forward. Finding the right offensive coordinator is the most important decision of Dennis Allen’s career:

It wasn’t an easy decision, but the New Orleans Saints did it: they fired longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael on Tuesday, cutting off one of the last remaining pieces of their Super Bowl XLIV-winning team.

Now what?

Moving on from Carmichael isn’t enough. The Saints must replace him with a play caller who brings something new to the table: an upgrade, not a lateral move. By parting ways with Carmichael (and assistant coaches like Kodi Burns and Bob Bicknell) they’re signaling that it was Carmichael holding back the offense for the first three months, not quarterback Derek Carr.

So finding an offensive coordinator who can get more out of Carr while improving the run game is going to be key. Maybe that’s someone already on staff like passing game coordinator Ronald Curry. Maybe it’s someone who has worked with Carr before, like Jon Gruden. Or maybe an entirely fresh perspective could be the answer. There are assistant coaches on the rise around the league like San Francisco 49ers passing game specialist Klint Kubiak and Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson who could be in demand.

At the same time, Allen has tried and failed to recruit upgrades in each of his first two years on the job. He could be in a similar tough spot again this year with candidates looking elsewhere for better opportunities. If that’s the case, Allen might have to settle for a retread like Ken Dorsey (ex-Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator) or Jim Bob Cooter (the Indianapolis Colts’ OC, who defers play calling to head coach Shane Steichen). This is the most important hire Allen will make in his three-year run as head coach.

If Allen misfires and the Saints miss the playoffs yet again in 2024, that has to be the end of the line. That must be what’s at stake here: playoffs or bust. Another average-at-best showing from the offense and near-.500 record can’t be good enough. Not when the Saints marketed Allen’s own hiring two years ago as a move that would keep them competitive in the playoffs. After hiring his own coaches and drafting his own players and getting his own quarterback, Allen won’t have any excuses or anyone else to blame if he can’t guide this team to the postseason next year.

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Saints assistants Kodi Burns, Bob Bicknell also let go

Saints assistant coaches Kodi Burns, Bob Bicknell also let go after Pete Carmichael dismissed

More changes are coming for the New Orleans Saints after firing offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. The team announced that assistant coaches Kodi Burns and Bob Bicknell will not be returning for the 2024 season.

Dennis Allen commented on the staff changes in a statement from the team: “I would like to thank Pete, Bob and Kodi for their service to the New Orleans Saints and to this coaching staff. These types of decisions are never easy to come to, but are necessary as we move forward.”

Both hired in recent years after Allen took over as head coach, Burns coached wide receivers while Bicknell worked as a senior assistant on offense. The Saints had too many miscues with their receivers and struggled to pick up first downs or score points for long stretches this year, so change was necessary.

And more departures may be coming. Stay tuned for updates as the 2024 Saints coaching staff continues to take shape.

Saints fire offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael

Saints fire offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael

The New Orleans Saints are dismissing longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, per multiple reports, and first shared by NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett and Nick Underhill.

It’s surprising given the support that head coach Dennis Allen threw behind Carmichael for much of the last two years. Carmichael struggled to maintain the success that Sean Payton established as a play caller after taking the headset for himself in 2022, and an upgrade at quarterback in 2023 didn’t make much of a difference for him.

So the Saints will go in a new direction. Carr’s former Raiders coach Jon Gruden is an obvious candidate for the job, but we’ll have to wait and see which prospects emerge and where other changes will be hitting the coaching staff. This is a developing story.

Podcast: Dennis Allen, Saints promise changes this offseason. Here’s what to expect

Dennis Allen and Saints leadership have promised changes ahead of the 2024 offseason. Here’s what to expect:

The Saints Wire podcast is back with managing editor John Sigler (@john_siglerr) and our host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanOLearySMG) recapping the New Orleans Saints’ dominant win over the Atlanta Falcons — and all the drama that followed it.

Dennis Allen and Saints leadership have promised changes in the offseason, but what might those look like? Will there be as much turnover in the coaching staff as on the roster? Could Jon Gruden take over as offensive coordinator from Pete Carmichael, and get more out of Derek Carr? Are top assistants like offensive line coach Doug Marrone on the way out the door? Tap in and get up to speed. Here’s what to expect.

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Report: Saints considering Jon Gruden, but not for offensive coordinator

The Saints are reportedly considering Jon Gruden as an addition to their coaching staff, but not as a replacement for offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael:

This was obviously coming down the pipeline, right? Jeff Duncan reports for the Times-Picayune | Advocate that the New Orleans Saints are considering Jon Gruden for a role on their coaching staff, having wined and dined with him before their Week 17 road game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in Tampa, where Gruden resides). Gruden was previously around the team as an unpaid consultant during their 2023 training camp.

Gruden got more out of Saints quarterback Derek Carr than any other coach when they were together on the Raiders, but here’s the catch: Duncan adds that Gruden “likely would” come on as assistant coach, not an outright replacement for offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. He describes a possible situation similar to the one that Allen experienced as co-defensive coordinator with Rob Ryan back in 2015, when the Saints eventually dismissed Ryan midseason to give Allen full control of the defense.

On top of that, Gruden is actively suing the NFL and league commissioner Roger Goodell while seeking damages to his personal reputation and professional career. Gruden resigned as the Raiders head coach in 2021 after emails he wrote while an employee at ESPN from 2011 to 2018 were leaked, containing sexist, racist, and homophobic content led to public outcry. The documents were discovered during an NFL investigation into workplace misconduct allegations against former Washington executives. A hearing in the Nevada Supreme Court is expected later this week.

The Saints offense improved greatly down the stretch in 2021, with Carr throwing 15 touchdown passes against 3 interceptions through six games in December, while the unit averaged 28.8 points per game. Once Carmichael picked up recent trends and started utilizing more frequent play action, pre-snap motion, and more favorable targets for the tight ends, Carr flourished.

But it was still too little, too late for the Saints to reach the playoffs. If Dennis Allen believes that Gruden can help Carr and the offense start hotter and maintain consistency, they’ll likely make a run at him, even if it’s unclear how he’d fit into the offensive coaching structure (to say nothing of whether the NFL would allow it while he’s actively suing them). Duncan’s report says there’s mutual interest, so stay tuned.

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