It’s no secret the New Orleans Saints are known for staying in-house for many decisions. When Sean Payton first retired, there was a lot of speculation about who would become the next Head Coach in New Orleans. Eric Bieniemy? Brian Flores? Doug Pederson? Understanding how the Saints operate helps you realize that who they should hire versus who they will hire, are two totally different things.
One of the best candidates the Saints could've pursued back in 2022 was Eric Bieniemy. His track record as an elite offensive coordinator is exactly what New Orleans needed, as the team is best under an offensive-minded coach. However, when it came to who the Saints would hire, it seemed likely that someone would be promoted from within the organization, with Dennis Allen making the most sense. Having been with the Saints for over 15 years, and recommended by Sean Payton, Allen’s promotion aligned with the Saints’ culture and history of internal loyalty.
This tendency to promote from within is especially evident when a Head Coach is fired midseason. More often than not, someone on the existing staff gets the interim role. That was the case this season with Darren Rizzi, who was the Special Teams Coordinator before being elevated to Interim Head Coach.
It makes sense why he was given the interim position. If he performs well, he could earn the job full-time. If he struggles, you can’t really fault him because of the difficult situation the team is already in. Now, after seven straight losses, the Saints are 2-0 under Darren Rizzi as Head Coach.
He brings his own intensity to New Orleans that goes perfectly with the fan base and more importantly the team. The team clearly loves him and after the two wins against the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns he has seemed to win over the team, fan base, and, more than likely, the organization.
The Saints have probably already found their guy and he has clearly shown he's up for the challenge. With a bye week this week, many wonder how the Saints will finish out the last six weeks of the season, considering they have one of the easiest remaining schedules in the league. They can definitely win the remaining games, but if it's smart to actually win those games is a whole different discussion.