The Saints have their first new head coach since 2006 and Dennis Allen is stepping into some big shoes.
Sean Payton’s 16 years on the job featured the team’s first Super Bowl win and nine playoff appearances, which was a major change of fortunes for a franchise that went to the playoffs six times in its first 40 years. At his first press conference since getting the bump to head coach, Allen acknowledged the legacy that Payton leaves in New Orleans while saying he has to be his own person in order to do the job.
“I understand what the expectations are here,” Allen said, via the team’s website. “But those are the expectations in our league. I look at it as, what a great example to follow. I think you learn from the experience of watching Sean. But at the end of the day, one thing I do know is when you get put in a position like this, you have to do it your way and you have to be yourself. I’m going to come to work every day and I’m going to be me, and I’m going to put my own little spin on it. But yet, there’s a lot of things that we’ve done really, really well here and I want to be able to continue those things and I just want to be able put my little spin on it.”
Allen brings some head coaching experience with him to the job. He was 8-28 in two-plus seasons with the Raiders from 2012-2014 and said on Tuesday that he has “seen a lot more, been through a lot more, experienced a lot more” than he had when he got that job. Allen added that he believes you get better the more you do something and the Saints are betting he’s right.
