A former head coach is set to interview for the Colts' defensive coordinator job and he should be the team's top candidate
The Indianapolis Colts are well into their search for the franchise's next defensive coordinator to replace Gus Bradley, who the team parted ways with this offseason. The newest confirmed candidate is a two-time NFL head coach who has had a ton of success as a defensive coordinator during his career. Former Saints and Raiders head coach […]
The Indianapolis Colts are well into their search for the franchise's next defensive coordinator to replace Gus Bradley, who the team parted ways with this offseason.
The newest confirmed candidate is a two-time NFL head coach who has had a ton of success as a defensive coordinator during his career.
Former Saints and Raiders head coach Dennis Allen set to interview for the Colts defensive coordinator job
The Colts will speak with former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen this week about their defensive coordinator job. Allen is an extremely well-respected defensive mind around the NFL, even if his two rocky tenures as a head coach have led some fans to have a negative opinion of him. But it's important to understand that just because someone doesn't work out as a head coach doesn't mean they can't be an excellent coordinator. Allen's resume is a perfect example of this.
Dennis Allen's NFL coaching resume
- New Orleans Saints: Head Coach (2022-2024)
- New Orleans Saints: Defensive Coordinator (2016-2021)
- New Orleans Saints: Interim Defensive Coordinator (2015)
- Oakland Raiders: Head Coach (2012-2014)
- Denver Broncos: Defensive Coordinator (2011)
- New Orleans Saints: Secondary Coach (2008-2010)
- New Orleans Saints: Assistant Defensive Line Coach (2006-2007)
- Atlanta Falcons: Defensive Assistant Coach / Quality Control Coach (2003-2005)
Allen's two attempts at being an NFL head coach resulted in him being fired. Both tenures ended with Allen being fired in the middle of his third season with the team, and he finished with a losing record in both spots. In 43 games with the Saints, he finished with an 18-25 record, and in 36 games with the Raiders, he finished with an 8-28 record.
However, his success as a defensive coordinator is evident throughout his career. His last stint in that role came from 2016 to 2021 with the Saints, which resulted in them promoting him to head coach. During that stretch, his first season was rough, with the team being 31st in points allowed and 27th in yards allowed. But seeing how quickly he improved that group is nothing short of remarkable.
2017: 17th in yards allowed, 10th in points allowed
2018: 14th in yards allowed, 14th in points allowed
2019: 11th in yards allowed, 13th in points allowed
2020: 4th in yards allowed, 5th in points allowed
2021: 7th in yards allowed, 4th in points allowed
What would hiring Dennis Allen mean for the Colts' defense moving forward?
This section is where my football "nerd" is going to come out a bit as I dive into Allen's defensive scheme and what this hire would mean for the Colts if it happened.
Allen's defense is built on the foundation of being a 4-3, which the Colts already deploy. But it would mean a drastic shift in overall identity on that side of the ball. One example would be Allen's defense is known for making opposing quarterbacks work hard for every yard they gain in the passing game. His aggressive nature on the back end would likely require the Colts to make multiple improvements at both corner and safety. It would be a breath of fresh air for the fan base, though, as they've seen a long list of quarterbacks dice their team's defense up over the years.
This hire would be the first since Chris Ballard was named the team's general manager that they branch out from the heavy Tampa 2 and Cover 3 scheme they have coveted. While Tampa 2 is still an element of Allen's defense, his scheme utilizes multiple different coverages, which creates significantly more mystery in the minds of offenses as they prepare to face an Allen-led defense. For example, a shift to Allen would mean more Quarters and more Cover 1 than the team has utilized in years past.
Another element I'm sure fans would be interested in knowing would be blitz percentage, which has been a loud gripe with Bradley's approach. There would likely be an uptick in that regard under Allen, but there is mystery there as well (a common theme). With him as the head coach or the defensive coordinator, the Saints have ranged anywhere from the low 20%'s to mid 30%'s. However, the high-end and low-end of his blitz approach would be an increase for the Colts, something that fans have been wanting in Indianapolis for quite some time. The highest blitz % under Bradley was 17.5% in 2024, with the team also having years finish with a 15.7 (2023) and 16.4 (2022) blitz %.
Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator candidate interview live tracker
The Indianapolis Colts are kicking off their search process to find their next defensive coordinator. As the team elected to part ways with Gus Bradley following the 2024 season. Follow along with all the rumors, confirmed candidates, and completed interviews for the Colts' open defensive coordinator position with our live tracker below. Colts DC candidate […]
NFL insiders link high profile candidates to the Colts for their open defensive coordinator job
The Indianapolis Colts have officially begun their search for their next defensive coordinator. Just three days after parting ways with Gus Bradley, the Colts already have two candidates set to interview.And a couple more high-profile candidates have now been linked to the Colts by NFL insiders. Dennis Allen "Speaking of Allen (Dennis), I'm sensing some Colts […]
