NEWSLETTER
A collective groan was let out when signs began pointing to the Chicago Bears GM search extending into next week.
But if it is any consolation, we’re seeing their head coach search expand at the same time:
Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is interviewing with the Bears next week, per source
— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) January 21, 2022
Nick Underhill, who covers the Saints for WWL-TV (among other places), reports New Orleans’ Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen will interview with the Bears next week. And for what it’s worth, DBB’s Jeff Hughes made a mention of it on Wednesday. Hot diggity dog!
Allen is no stranger to head coach interviews. In fact, he was one with the Raiders from 2012-14. It might be one reason why the Saints made him the interim head coach while Sean Payton was out because of a stint in COVID protocols. That choice caught my eye, especially since I had my eyes on trying to identify future head coach interviewees. Here’s what we had to say at the time:
Allen, 49, has been the Saints’ DC since 2015 and could be a popular candidate to make the rounds on this upcoming offseason’s head coaching circuit. In a year where hot-shot coordinators have been unable to separate themselves from the pack, we might see an offseason coaching rumor-mill starring candidates with previous experience as a head coach. This collection of coaches features the likes of Leslie Frazier and Todd Bowles, in addition to Allen — who was the Raiders’ head coach from 2012-14. So if an Allen-led Saints team is competitive (or even triumphant) against the Buccaneers, it could help boost his résumé. And considering the Bears’ current situation, it’ll be worth keeping tabs on that game just to see what happens.
As it stands, Allen will become the ninth known head-coaching candidate to join the fray. It’s not that it is a surprise that we’re adding Allen to the mix. However, I wasn’t expecting to pop up as a candidate at this stage of the game. Not that there is a perfect formula for all of this, but folks might feel better if this was moving at a quicker pace. But maybe it doesn’t matter. After all, making the right decision is far more important than a quick on.
Adding another head coach candidate after setting up Matt Eberflus with a second interview seems odd. But these are the Bears. We knew it would get weird at some point. And this is probably just the beginning.
