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The New Orleans Saints have reportedly fired head coach Dennis Allen, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo Monday (November 4) morning.
"The #Saints have fired coach Dennis Allen after a humbling loss to the #Panthers, per me and @MikeGarafolo," Rapoport wrote on his X account. "Dennis Allen is meeting with his staff now. The #Saints have made a move. With the injuries this year, it was an uphill battle. Brutal."
Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi was promoted to interim head coach, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Rapoport.
Allen's reported firing came hours after the Saints fell to 2-7 with Sunday's (November 3) loss to the NFC South Division rival Carolina Panthers, having lost seven consecutive games after starting the season with a 2-0 record.
Allen, 52, joined the Saints' staff as a senior defensive assistant in 2015, following a head coaching stint with the then-Oakland Raiders, and was promoted to defensive coordinator after Rob Ryan's firing midway through the season. The Atlanta native worked as the team's defensive coordinator from 2015 to 2021 before being promoted to head coach in February 2022 following Sean Payton's sudden retirement announcement two weeks prior.
Allen went 18-25 during three seasons as the Saints' head coach and has a 26-53 overall record as an NFL head coach.