Breaking! Saints fired Dennis Allen (1 Viewer)

[SuperSaint]

By Ross Jackson

The New Orleans Saints made some major changes this past week, headlined by firing their former head coach Dennis Allen. The decision was the right one to make considering the team’s downward spiral. While many point to the team’s seven-game losing streak as a driving factor, some reports suggest Sunday’s result was only further confirmation for what may have been on the way one way or another.

As Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football previously reported, team owner Gayle Benson has been checking in with players about the direction of the team and, presumably, why they believed things weren’t going to plan.

On top of that, fans have made it very well known that they believed that Allen was the source of many issues. The combination of player and fan concern clearly had an impact.

Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the owner had “reached a breaking point over the past few weeks.” And the fan voice only strengthened ownership’s decision.

“Benson and her group were hearing from the fan base in a way they hadn’t before,” Breer wrote. “And their resolve was strengthened through that, to the point where perception inside the building holds that Allen might’ve been fired Monday even if he’d beaten the Carolina Panthers.”

Report: Benson led decision to fire Allen

By Ross Jackson The New Orleans Saints made some major changes this past week, headlined by firing their former head coach Dennis Allen. The decision was the right one to make considering the team’s downward spiral. While many point to the team's seven-game losing streak as a driving factor...

www.louisianasports.net

 

[SuperSaint]

It was clear from the difference in tone in the two statements From Gayle and Loomis that they didn't exactly see eye to eye on this.

I'm glad Mrs. Benson made the tough decision for the good of the organization. Who knows if Loomis would have ever done it?

 

[Hedon James]

I'm listening to the Loomis interview and the shot he took at Duncan was chuckleworthy. "Penalities (we were one of the least penalized teams in the league) speaks more to discipline than where players park for christ sake". He's so logical and big picture oriented he completely is missing the specifics of the details flying under the radar. He sees the forest but is ignoring the trees.

i saw that and thought the EXACT same thing you just stated. Just another example, IMO, of how disconnected ML is from the pulse of the team. That's a problem for a GM, and the fact he can't or won't even acknowledge it confirms for me that Saints didn't just have a HC problem; we got a GM problem too. ML needs to go too.

It's not a raging forest fire like the DA situation. He can finish the season and disappear quietly, but he needs to shut up and quit undermining the OWNER. It's pretty clear he wasn't (and still isn't) onboard with the owner's decision and seems to be getting his jabs in as often as opportunity allows it. You're next Mickey...shall we do it quietly, with dignity and honor; or would you prefer a spectacle? Might be the last shot you get to call in B&G.

 

[AARPSaint]

Kind of runs parallel to the lack of attention to detail that Rizzi seems to be trying to correct.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

I agree on that. I would have been just as happy with Winston who I still believe is a better QB, but what do I know?

More than Dennis Allen.

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

It wasn’t hard to decipher from Mickey Loomis’ initial statements that firing coach Dennis Allen was a decision the Saints general manager didn’t want to have to make.

But when asked by NewOrleans.Football if that means he disagreed with it, Loomis said, “It’s probably more difficult than disagree. My philosophy in general is that I don't see a lot of benefit in general from making changes in midstream. So that's probably where you read the hesitancy.”

When asked if that means the decision was made primarily by owner Gayle Benson, Loomis said, “No, I’m not gonna say that. It was an organization decision.”

 

[soggymoss84]

I take it as he wanted to move on, but didn’t want to do it in the middle of the season.

Likely pressure from the players finally made him take the step

 

[Big_L]

I take it that he didn't have enough wood for the winter and wanted Dennis to keep choppin' until the end of the season.

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

I take it as he wanted to move on, but didn’t want to do it in the middle of the season.

Likely pressure from the players finally made him take the step

Yeah he mentioned the pressure came from multiple angles, it wasn't just one single thing. Not worried about season ticket holders, or getting boo'd etc but it had more to do w/ the team needing a spark, and he admitted that Rizzi has provided that, now to see if it can be sustained.

I take it that he didn't have enough wood for the winter and wanted Dennis to keep choppin' until the end of the season.

I smirked at this. Just for raw logic purposes, typically firing a coach mid-season is a form of giving up or almost throwing your hands up. I don't think he wanted to send that signal, and I think there's proof of that because he'd just said they likely wouldn't be sellers. He and Allen during the offseason reiterated a lot, they aren't interested in trading guys who can help them win. So firing Allen mid-season was a subtle admission they don't think they can still win, and sending that message to the players can go either way.

Logically speaking, but I think tossing out the logic and just looking at it emotionally....firing allen was like removing a dark rain cloud from the room. Likely underestimated the effect of a little sunshine. I over think a lot, this was potentially a moment where Loomis was overthinking it and Gayle came in, and just went w/ the gut and feeling of things.

 

[BELOWSEALEVEL]

Or something like this:
"Hey Mickey......yes Gayle.....fire Dennis on Monday or I'll terminate both of you"

 

[BreesusSaves]

To my understanding, under Loomis, the only coach/assistant fired mid-season was Rob Ryan. Every hire that was fired was done 4-5 days after Black Monday. That's just how he does things.

 

[SaintswonSBXLIV]

It was Gayle's decision, period.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Loomis probably felt there was an optimal financial, structural (league calendar, et al) time to fire DA

Gayle, players other coaches had a more immediate social, cultural, emotional timetable they were working with

both can be right from their POV - Loomis just got outvoted and is trying to signal to potential coaches that they'll have a cushion of time to effect change

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

Loomis probably felt there was an optimal financial, structural (league calendar, et al) time to fire DA

Gayle, players other coaches had a more immediate social, cultural, emotional timetable they were working with

both can be right from their POV - Loomis just got outvoted and is trying to signal to potential coaches that they'll have a cushion of time to effect change

This consolidates the information beautifully.