Early head coach candidates for the Saints to consider in 2023

Things aren't going well in the first nine games of the New Orleans Saints' Dennis Allen-era. He has the team at 3-6 and a lot of the issues that plagued him during his short tenure as the Raiders' head coach have followed him to the Big Easy.

While I doubt the franchise cans Allen during the season itself, they cannot allow him to be the head coach in 2023 unless major changes happen between now and Week 18.

If the Saints fire Allen at season's end, who are some possible replacements for him? Let's take a look at some options and no, I did not include Sean Payton. The guy left for a reason, I doubt he'd want to come back after the team has gotten even worse. The candidates included are listed in alphabetical order.

Lou Anarumo (Bengals Defensive Coordinator)

I'd be surprised if Anarumo doesn't get more respect in the head coach searches this offseason. He had just one interview last offseason after taking the Bengals from one of the worst defenses in the league to a solid unit that helped propel Cincinnati to the Super Bowl.

This year, despite injuries, the Bengals rank as the third-best overall defense, which is quite an accomplishment considering how lousy they were just two years ago. Saints fans might cringe at the thought of hiring another defensive-minded guy to lead the charge but Anarumo deserves a chance to be a head coach.

Eric Bieniemy (Chiefs Offensive Coordinator)

Somehow Bieniemy still hasn't gotten hired to be a head coach by an NFL team so he remains an option here. He's worked with Patrick Mahomes since he entered the league and constantly has the Chiefs offense as one of the best units in the league. There might be some skepticism on him because Andy Reid mostly calls the plays in Kansas City but eventually someone will give Bieniemy a shot. Should it be the Saints?