Dennis Allen to Interview for Bears Head Coach Opening

Dennis Allen hasn't been the hottest name for open head coaching jobs, but that might change with him set to interview with the Bears next week.

John Hendrix | Jan 21, 2022

It's taken a little longer than expected, but another team is interested in one of the coaching staples for the Saints. According to a Thursday night report from NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill, the Chicago Bears are expected to interview defensive coordinator Dennis Allen next week for their open head coaching position.

Just 10 days ago, the Bears put in a request to interview Jeff Ireland for their GM spot. It would be interesting if Chicago could pull off a package deal to get two important Saints to help rebuild their team. Allen has certainly put together an impressive resume to help him have consideration to become a head coach again by having a hand in one of the best defensive turnarounds in the league for the Saints. He also filled in for Sean Payton for the game against the Buccaneers, in which his defense pitched a shutout on the road.

Should Allen leave, assistant head coach and defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen would be a top candidate to backfill the coordinator spot. Kris Richard could also get some consideration, but one name to keep an eye on would be Mike Zimmer. Sean Payton has a lot of respect with the former Vikings head coach, and their ties run deep. Of course, this is all assuming that Allen leaves and remains to be seen.

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Published Jan 21, 2022

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net