Saints GM Mickey Loomis admits circumstances created “stress and pressure” to fire Dennis Allen

New Orleans Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen after straight seven losses following blowout wins in Week 1 and 2.

Saints GM Mickey Loomis admits circumstances created “stress and pressure” to fire Dennis Allen

Dennis Allen (L), Mickey Loomis (R) (Image via Who Dat Dish/NFL)

Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis addressed the media for the first time since the team dismissed coach Dennis Allen on Monday. Loomis praised the coach and noted that stress and pressure created by the circumstances eventually led to the decision.

The breaking point came with Sunday’s 23-22 loss to the previously one-win Carolina Panthers. The Panthers, labeled as one of the worst teams in the league, tore apart the New Orleans Saints.

YouTube video

The Saints, who started with two high-scoring wins, aren’t performing in the same form anymore, losing seven games in a row. They have been on the receiving end of the blowout losses, after missing quarterback Derek Carr to a major injury.

Loomis appeared on WML-AM on Tuesday where he asserted that he and the rest of the people in the league can attest that Dennis Allen was a fantastic coach.

Look, I think Dennis Allen is a fantastic football coach, and I think anybody in our league who would talk about him thinks he’s a fantastic football coach. I think in this case, look, the circumstances created the record. That’s just the truth, and a lot of people don’t want to hear it.

Mickey Loomis said on WWL-AM on Tuesday, via Matthew Paras of nola.com

Allen has spent a considerable time in Louisiana, joining as an assistant defensive line coach in 2008. When the Saints won their maiden championship in 2009, Allen served as the secondary coach. The Georgian native returned to the franchise in 2015 after leaving for the Broncos in 2011. He became the head coach in 2022, following stints as senior defensive assistant (2015), and Defensive coordinator (2015-2021).

The 2023 Saints was the best record in his six-year coaching career. In his first year as the Saints coach in 2022, they won just seven games. In 2023, the Saints recorded 9-8 and missed out on playoffs due to a worse common record than the Buccaneers. They ended 2nd in the division while keeping a fifth in the wildcard race. In his tenure at the Oakland Raiders, he completed two same record seasons (4-12) before being fired four games into his third season.

Saints’ new interim head coach defends close friend Dennis Allen in first media conference

In light of the recent changes, Mickey Loomis and the management have promoted special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi to the interim head coach position. The Saints may look for a better option in the offseason.

Darren Rizzi
Darren Rizzi (Image via New Orleans Saints)

In his first media conference, Rizzi was calm. The day’s pressures were not visible on his face despite him voicing the tough nature of the sport. Speaking to the media, Rizzi defended Dennis Allen before taking accountability for their position on the table.

Tough day for me, tough day for this profession. It kind of just gives you the reality of the situation. Dennis did a lot for this organization, and I consider him a close personal friend, so it’s obviously a little bit of a tough situation. As I told the team earlier today, we’ve all had a hand – me included – in where we are right now. And we’re all going to have a hand in digging us out of this hole that we’re in.

Darren Rizzi said

He started his journey as a walk-on player at the University of Rhode Island and began his coaching career at Division II New Haven in 1994. Rising through the ranks, he became head coach at New Haven (1999-2001) and later at Rhode Island (2008).

His NFL career started with the Miami Dolphins in 2009, continuing for nine years in Florida before joining the New Orleans Saints in 2019. He was named assistant coach in 2022, a role he handled alongside being the special teams coordinator.