Dennis Allen of the New Orleans Saints is one of the few, if any, NFL head coaches with the same bad reputation. Many Saints supporters want him fired, and Allen has been rated as one of the worst coaches by numerous websites.
USA Today and CBS Sports put him last, while Sharp Football Analysis placed him in the 28th spot. Since 2020, when Sean Payton was the team’s manager, New Orleans has failed to qualify for the playoffs. The team’s record in two seasons under Allen is 16–18. You can understand why he isn’t well-liked when you consider his record in his fewer than three seasons as the Oakland Raiders’ coach from 2012 to 2014. 2014 season began 0-4, and he was finally fired with an 8-28 record.
In 2023, the Saints had a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs due to a tiebreaker against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In January, general manager of the Saints Mickey Loomis remarked, “The easy thing to do, the lazy thing to do is look at the results of a season and say its the coach’s fault or it’s the quarterback’s fault.” “I believe that you often need to look past that.”
“In my opinion, Dennis Allen is an excellent coach. It can be difficult, in my opinion, to remain patient as you identify and address your other weaknesses. That’s precisely what we’re doing.
Loomis makes a really valid point. Although the head coach is the most crucial member of the football squad, they are by no means the only one. Rather than let Allen go, Loomis made the decision to let go of longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and bring in 49ers player Klint Kubiak.
In the January end-of-season press conference, the general manager of the Saints was also aware that he would be questioned about Allen and his difficulties. When asked, Loomis produced an index card. “See, I was ready for this inquiry.”
“Hall of Fame coach Chuck Knoll his first three years,” Loomis remarked. He was 6-8, 5-9, and 1-13. However, they acknowledged that this man is a skilled football coach, don’t they? Here are Bill Belichick’s first three seasons: 7-9, 7-9, 7-9. 0-11, 4-9, 5-8, 4-10, 5-8, Tom Landry. All of them are coached by Hall of Famer. First year Bill Walsh 2–14, second year 6–10. Therefore, it seems simple to simply look at the outcomes and conclude that a change is necessary. You need to see past that. Why were we 9-8 rather than 13-4, and why is that?
All of these Hall of Fame coaches’ records are accurate, but they require context. Before selecting Franco Harris in the first round of the 1972 draft, Knoll’s Steelers were having trouble. For a young Terry Bradshaw, he made life much easier and became a star right away. While Belichick was in Cleveland, he did not win any Super Bowls as head coach without Tom Brady. Walsh’s first two years were marred by eight game starts by Joe Montana. After he finished second in the MVP voting his third season, starting all 16 games, the 49ers took off. Although Landry didn’t add a key player, his success also began in the 1960s, a very different era for football.
Not to diminish the excellence of any of these coaches, but each benefited from a few all-time great players. Allen also has Derek Carr, who may not receive the recognition he merits but isn’t expected to make it into the Hall of Fame either.
Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs is the top-ranked head coach on each of these three lists. As luck would have it, Patrick Mahomes, his quarterback, is already regarded as the best of all time and the best of his generation. Not barely 30 years old, he has already won two MVP awards and three Super Bowls. Not to mention Travis Kelce, who is regarded as one of the all-time great tight ends.
In his two seasons leading the Saints, Allen hasn’t done much to support his credentials as a competent head coach. However, he is also devoid of a Drew Brees. A team can only succeed to the extent that its players allow it to, no matter how talented or horrible Allen is.
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