The 5 best head coaches in the history of the New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints went almost two decades without a winning record and three decades without a playoff win. Despite hiring legendary coaches like Mike Ditka and Hank Stram at various points in their careers, success seems to have largely eluded this franchise.

To have success in New Orleans, a coach needs the perfect blend of schematic excellence and a keen eye for personnel. Sean Payton did it in masterful fashion at his best, so much so that none have truly come close to matching what he has done in Louisiana.

These five head coaches remain the best in Saints history. While there have been a few duds, the Saints have been able to turn things around and establish themselves as a franchise that needs to be taken seriously by the rest of the NFL.

Criteria for selection

These coaches were chosen based on a combination of:

• Win-Loss record
• Impact on Success
• Longevity
• Memorable Moments

The Top 5 head coaches in New Orleans Saints history

5. Dennis Allen

Allen already has the fifth-most wins in Saints history after just two seasons, and only Payton and Jim Mora have a higher winning percentage among coaches who were in charge for more than one season. Allen hasn't been everyone's cup of tea for multiple justified reasons, but he's better than most Saints coaches.

Allen is certainly a much better coach than he was early in his career, as he was a ghoulish 8-28 as the head coach of the Raiders for parts of three seasons. Having served as the Saints' defensive coordinator between 2015 and 2021, Allen rebuilt his reputation by flexing his aggressive mindset.

Allen will have solid quarterback play in Derek Carr, but his roster is starting to get worse overall due to years of operating with razor-thin financial margins. Perhaps he will be able to find more success this time around.

4. Bum Phillips

In much the same way the Saints got Mike Ditka past his prime, New Orleans hired Phillips after his glory days with the old Houston Oilers. While Phillips didn't do much to change the losing ways of the Saints, he set the foundation for success by making them a respectable team on both sides of the ball.

Phillips tried his best to replicate the old Oilers, adding Ken Stabler and Earl Campbell at various points. The overall records will not be kind to him, as he won just 27 games in five seasons and never did better than 8-8.

However, Phillips did make the Saints a more consistent and effective foe than they had been in past seasons, all while adding some of the players Jim Mora would eventually use to turn them into a winner. Phillips did the best he could with what he had, winning more than many of the other great coaches who tried to fix New Orleans.

3. Jim Haslett

It took the Saints more than three decades to win a playoff game, and Haslett was the man to do it. A sharp defensive mind who learned under Bill Cowher in Pittsburgh, Haslett went 10-6 and won a playoff game in his first season in charge. However, that was the height of success during his tenure.

With names like Aaron Brooks, Duece McAllister, and Joe Horn on offense, New Orleans would begin a Jeff Fisher-esque exercise in mediocrity by going an even .500 between 2001 and 2004. In a tough NFC, Haslett never made it back to the postseason.

Haslett, a defensive coach, could never build the same ferocious units he did with the Steelers. Luckily, he managed to stay in the league for the next decade as a defensive coordinator with teams like St. Louis and Washington, all while getting the Saints to a point of respectability.

2. Jim Mora

Known for his "playoffs?" rant and his inability to win in the playoffs (0-6 record despite having second-half leads four times), Mora remains a hallowed name in Saints franchise history. New Orleans never had a winning record before his arrival, and his defensive ingenuity made them a very tough opponent in the 1980s.

Mora played in a gauntlet of a division that included the dynastic 49ers and quality Rams. Mora had two 12-4 seasons in which he didn't win the division and missed the playoffs at 10-6 once. Despite those factors, the coach of the USFL's dynastic Philadelphia Stars had seven straight non-losing seasons and amassed a 93-74 record.

Mora, who oversaw the creation of the greatest linebacking corps in NFL history in the famed "Dome Patrol" unit, took over one of the worst franchises in American sports history and instantly gave them a credibility they still hold today. His postseason struggles are not indicative of his coaching acumen.

1. Sean Payton

Some quarterback-coach pairings were made for each other. The offensive brilliance of Payton paired with the ultra-accurate arm of Drew Brees made the Saints one of the greatest offenses in league history and a champion.

Payton went 152-89 with the Saints, winning nine playoff games along the way. Listing off all the passing accolades he set in that time would be exhausting, but rest assured he and Brees made the most of their partnership together.

While the new Broncos coach has some postseason blunders to his name that ultimately made it impossible to get back to the Super Bowl, no one in Saints history, outside of Brees, had more to do with the success of this franchise.