The New Orleans Saints relieved head coach Dennis Allen of his services on Monday morning. The decision arrived approximately 24 hours after the struggling franchise lost a seventh consecutive contest, this time to the Carolina Panthers. That embarrassment represented rock bottom for the Saints, who could no longer justify operating under Allen's control.
Allen compiled a lackluster record of 18-25 in nearly three completed campaigns overseeing the Saints. General manager Mickey Loomis also deserves blame for their non-competitiveness. The Saints are currently scheduled to be a league-worst $61 million over the 2025 cap next offseason and will require serious financial gymnastics to become cap-compliant. New Orleans' job opening isn't particularly attractive.
As a result of the ongoing seven-game losing streak, the Saints are a league-worst 2-7, currently owning the No. 3 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. The next head coach will receive an opportunity to begin shaping a new identity. We've drawn up three potential candidates.
Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions DC
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn received head coaching interest last offseason, and his name will likely resurface in this upcoming cycle. The Lions are an NFC-best 7-1 as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Glenn's defense, which recently lost Aidan Hutchinson to a season-ending injury, is allowing a sixth-best 18.5 points per game despite lacking household names.
Glenn played for the Saints in 2008. He also served as the defensive backs coach for five seasons (2016-20) before following Dan Campbell to Detroit. The Saints are a franchise that requires a true organizational reset, locker room included. Glenn played a pivotal role in helping Campbell execute something similar with the Lions. He'd be a perfect candidate for the job.
Klint Kubiak, Saints OC
The Saints wisely did not name offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak the interim leader. The 37-year-old inexperienced Kubiak is in just his second season as an offensive coordinator. Instead, the interim title was awarded to special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who has a head coaching background dating back to his days at New Haven and Rhode Island.
This decision allows Kubiak to continue honing his craft and focusing on the offense. The Saints began the campaign at 2-0 by scoring 47 and 44 points respectively. It's been downhill ever since, but injuries and inconsistent performances from the quarterbacks have played a large role. If Kubiak can get Derek Carr and the Saints offense back on track, he could earn serious consideration in the offseason.
Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals OC
Some of the big-name candidates in the next hiring cycle could include Bill Belichick, Ben Johnson, and Mike Vrabel. Given the Saints' lackluster outlook, they're unlikely to land one of the big-fish names available. Forced to get more creative, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is a potentially underrated candidate who deserves a shout.
Petzing is in control of the Cardinals' offense because the head coach is the defensive-oriented Jonathan Gannon. The shocking Cardinals are 5-4 and sit atop the NFC West. Petzing's offense is scoring a respectable 23 points per contest. He should receive some head coaching interviews in the offseason.
