Here’s some welcome clarity from Dennis Allen. The New Orleans Saints’ first-year head coach addressed one of the more curious decisions he made in building his coaching staff Friday at the NFL scouting combine, when asked about the move to name both defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen and secondary coach Kris Richard as his co-defensive coordinators.
“Both of them are qualified to do it, both of them deserve a shot to do it, and why not make them co-coordinators,” Allen told Nola.com’s Luke Johnson. He continued, “Because at the end of the day, there’s really one voice, and that’s mine.”
Allen is still going to be on the headset. He’s still going to be reviewing the game plan each week. And he’s very likely going to keep calling plays when the opposing team has possession. He’s been tremendously successful in that role, and it makes sense for him to stay at it even with a slightly shuffled organizational chart beneath him.
The key to naming Richard and Nielsen as co-defensive coordinators is the larger platform it gives both of them to help the team. They’ll be able to keep coaching up their position groups while sharing more input for the game plan and in-game decisions, even if Allen is ultimately the one making those calls. By keeping two talented assistants happy with promotions and giving them some more prominence across the league’s landscape, Allen is not only empowering those around him — he’s putting them in position to become head coaches themselves someday.
It’s rate to go from being a position coach to a head coach. Having a stop along the way as a coordinator, even if they’ve split responsibilities and didn’t call plays themselves, means a lot on a resume. Maybe it can be enough to help the Saints figure some things out while helping Nielsen and Richard advance in their careers.
