Three head coaching vacancies Eric Bieniemy could fill in 2023
By Jacob Milham
New Orleans Saints
The Broncos have the worst long-term prospects in the NFL, but the New Orleans Saints are not much better.
First-year head coach Dennis Allen has had a very unlucky debut season. Crucial calls not going their way, starters sporadically playing, and overall inconsistency have driven the Saints to the NFC basement. But frankly, New Orleans fans should not have expected anything different. He only won eight games in 36 games as head coach of the then-Oakland Raiders. It is not like Allen had a sterling record leading a team. But he got a second chance in New Orleans.
Allen has a strong bond with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, the NFL’s longest-tenured general manager. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler “would be surprised if [Allen] doesn’t get another year,” citing that bond as a key reason. But Loomis wouldn’t last long in the league if he made decisions based solely on bonds and friendships. The NFL is a business, and losing records is bad for business.
The Saints and Bieniemy have recently formed a bond. New Orleans interviewed him for eight hours in February 2022, after the Chiefs’ untimely loss in the AFC Championship. Loomis has already shown extensive interest in the former Cincinnati Bengals player. If Allen were to be a one-and-done coach, Bieniemy could have another chance in New Orleans.