Saints fire third-year coach Dennis Allen after the club's seventh straight loss, AP Source says

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints fired coach Dennis Allen on Monday, the day after a loss at last-place Carolina extended the Saints' losing streak to seven games — its longest since 1999, a person with knowledge of the move said.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet announced the move.

Allen is 18-25 without a playoff appearance since taking over in 2022 after Sean Payton, the most successful coach in Saints history, began what turned out to be a one-season retirement from coaching.

Allen was promoted by general manager Mickey Loomis after a successful six-season tenure as New Orleans' defensive coordinator, a period that saw his unit ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in 2020 and 2021.

While the Saints continued to field one of the better defenses in the NFL during Allen's first two seasons as head coach, the offense has been erratic and often struggled in the late stages of close games.

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Brett Martel, The Associated Press