Report: Dennis Allen to Be Hired as Saints Head Coach to Replace Sean Payton

The New Orleans Saints are hiring defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as their new head coach following the resignation of Sean Payton, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted the two sides have agreed to terms on a deal.

Payton spent 15 years as head coach for the Saints, but there was some uncertainty regarding his status once the 2021 regular season came to an end.

The 58-year-old Payton ended the uncertainty on Jan. 25 when he announced he was stepping away from the Saints and said he had no plans to coach anywhere in 2022.

Payton expressed interest in a career as an NFL television analyst and said "retirement is not the right word" for what he was doing, suggesting a return to coaching in the future could be in the cards.

Payton's departure left a huge hole in the organization, as he led the Saints to unprecedented success from 2006 to 2021.

Overall, Payton posted a 152-89 record during the regular season with seven NFC South titles and nine playoff appearances.

Along with quarterback Drew Brees, he also led New Orleans to its first and only Super Bowl win in 2010.

The Saints narrowly missed the playoffs in 2021 with a 9-8 record, as life after the retired Brees proved to be difficult.

Jameis Winston, Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill all started games at quarterback for the Saints, while No. 1 wide receiver Michael Thomas missed the entire season because of injury.

Few people are better equipped to handle offensive adversity than Payton, but with Payton no longer in the picture, that responsibility will now fall on the shoulders of Allen.

While the Saints were primarily known for their offensive success under Payton, it can be argued that the defense has largely carried the load in recent years.

Allen has been a big part of the Saints' defensive success, as he has been the defensive coordinator since 2015.

With Allen at the helm, the Saints ranked fourth in total defense and fifth in scoring defense in 2020 and followed that up by ranking seventh in total defense and fourth in scoring defense in 2021.

Allen also has previous head coaching experience, although he struggled in going 8-28 in parts of three seasons with the Oakland Raiders from 2012 to 2014.

There is little doubt that Allen has earned another opportunity, however, and the work he has done with New Orleans' defense provides some hope that he can keep the Saints competitive moving forward.