Former Texas A&M defensive back Dennis Allen is taking over the defensive coordinator duties for the New Orleans Saints.
A day after the Saints allowed a whopping 47 points to the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon, head coach Sean Payton made the decision to fire defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.
Enter the 43-year-old Allen, formerly the head coach of the Oakland Raiders and a key cog in A&M’s “Wrecking Crew” defense in the mid-1990s. He takes over a beleaguered unit that ranks last in the NFL in total defense and second-to-last in passing yards given up per game.
Allen, who was also a graduate assistant for Texas A&M from 1996-1999, was brought in by Payton this year to serve as a senior defensive assistant. Now, he will be employed as a defensive coordinator for the first time since 2011, when he filled that role with the Denver Broncos.
Payton said that Allen “will be handling everything from A to Z,” per ESPN.com.
This marks the second time that an Aggie has been promoted this season, as Dan Campbell was named the Miami Dolphins’ interim head coach back in early October.
