By Ross Jackson
NEW ORLEANS — When the New Orleans Saints fired coach Dennis Allen, special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Darren Rizzi was the obvious candidate for the interim role. Now, two games into his tenure as the interim head coach, Rizzi is showing that he may be the obvious candidate for the full-time role as well.
Anytime a coach can do something that will get them compared to the Saints’ former leader Sean Payton, it’s going to catch eyes. Rizzi did that this past weekend with his second-consecutive win. He became only the second Saints coach to begin his tenure with a 2-0 start. The first coach was, of course, Payton back in 2006. Payton started 3-0 his inaugural season.
A Payton-like start for Rizzi does not guarantee Payton-like success in the long run. But it certainly advances his candidacy for consideration.
But beyond the results of the games, the impact of Rizzi’s approach has been notably beloved by his players and Saints fans. Players have been mimicking the coach’s “1/11th” mantra for multiple seasons now, but in 2024, it’s taken on a whole new life. It has become more than a special teams slogan, it has become a big part of the team’s identity.
Couple that with the impact he has had for what was a fanbase that was dwindling in game attendance and the Saints’ interim is becoming hard to miss. From clogging toilets to filling seats. From dressing up as a construction worker to constructing wins, Rizzi is proving himself in the early goings of his opportunity.
Even if things don’t go perfectly, it shouldn’t take a win-out situation for the team to seriously consider him.
In fact, New Orleans already proved that back in 2022. Rizzi was among those that interviewed for the head coaching job that would eventually go to Allen. Now, he could be Allen’s successor.
The modern era of the NFL usually necessitates an offensive-minded head coach. At least that’s the current trend. Hire the offensive play caller as your head coach so that you don’t have to combat the constant turnover of an offensive coordinator. That’s certainly an economical way to do business. However, having a proven leader and two formidable play callers while being able to sell your team as a breeding ground for future head coaches isn’t the worst situation either.
Not to mention, with a model like the Detroit Lions available (who are led by another former Saints assistant in Dan Campbell) it is not so preposterous to believe that a team can build an environment where successful coordinators want to hang around for at least a few years.
So far, Rizzi looks like a leader that could potentially build something just like that. The success or failure of that endeavor would have many varying factors. The Saints should like what they see enjoying the familiarity of a widely shifting era for the team and are truly convinced by Rizzi, his players and the fanbase that he’s earned the job.
With six games to go, if Rizzi can continue to inspire fight, competition and confidence from his roster, he deserves the chance to see this new frontier through with the Saints. It’s a good start, but now he’ll have to take his own advice and accept the same challenge he has demanded of his team: “Finish.”
