Darren Rizzi of the Saints attributes his transition to interim coach to Dennis Allen.
The New Orleans Saints upset the Atlanta Falcons 20–17 on Sunday, giving head coach Darren Rizzi his first NFL victory and the first taste of success since September.
After firing Dennis Allen during the Saints’ seven-game losing run, Rizzi took over as interim head coach for the first time. The degree of support Allen provided Rizzi following his dismissal from the company helped end that run on Sunday.
Allen helped Rizzi a lot during his transition from special teams coach to temporary head coach, he told SI’s Albert Breer. Allen assisted Rizzi in organizing the defensive coaching staff and even assisted him with the defensive strategy, even though Rizzi was his replacement.
Rizzi stated, “At the end of the day, we’re friends,” in Breer’s Week 10 NFL Takeaways piece. “He will continue to coach. He will be hired as a defensive coordinator by someone. Who knows, maybe we’ll work together in the future. We both said, “This isn’t a goodbye,” as he departed. I’ll see you tomorrow.
In his more than two seasons as the Saints’ coach, Allen has accumulated an 18-25 record since 2022. He politely collaborated with his successor to facilitate Rizzi’s transition even after leaving the team.
Now that he has a victory under his belt, Rizzi will try to improve on Sunday’s performance when New Orleans plays the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 11.
