All signs lead to Ben Johnson appointing Dennis Allen, former New Orleans Saints head coach, as Chicago Bears defensive coordinator. Allen was fired as the Saints’ head coach during the season, so there may be reasons for concern, but overall, this is a hire that should delight Bears supporters. Here’s why. 3. Dennis Allen redesigned the New Orleans Saints’ defense.
Before Allen took over as Saints defensive coordinator in 2014, the team had one of the weakest defenses in the NFL. It took them a few seasons under Allen to turn things around, but from 2017 to 2023, they were never lower than 14th in points allowed. That defense helped the Saints make several great runs late in Drew Brees’ tenure, which is why he was appointed to head coach. This appears to be an instance of a bad head coach but a fantastic defensive coordinator, which is very typical.
2. Dennis Allen has head-coaching expertise. Ben Johnson will be a first-time head coach, and while he appears to be quite knowledgeable, every coach takes some time to adjust to the NFL. That is why Sean McVay chose Wade Phillips when he first joined the Rams, and Matt Nagy had his best results with Vic Fangio, who was not a prior head coach but had the experience and qualifications.
Allen will aid Johnson in the same way. Johnson can learn on the fly, bounce ideas off of Allen, and rely on Allen to handle the defense while calling plays. Having a new head coach beside a former head coach is an excellent concept.
1. Dennis Allen is not leaving for a new job.
As previously said, Allen is not an effective head coach. He failed with both the Raiders and the Saints. However, he was hired for both positions because of his ability to coordinate defense, and while he will most likely be out of coaching opportunities for the time being, this should be good news for Bears fans.
Unlike Matt Nagy and Vic Fangio, these two have the opportunity to collaborate for several years. The defense may begin to mature, and as we saw in New Orleans, more experience together leads to better results. This may be a hire that we look back on in ten years and remember how amazing it was.
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