| What a week, huh? Wait, Jack Donaghy is telling me it's only Tuesday. But forgive me, I've been a little busy. Welcome to the Saints Insider newsletter — post Dennis Allen edition. Yes, the Saints have a new coach. After firing Allen on Monday, New Orleans named special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi the interim. We've got so much to cover. Let's get into it: Change of direction Firing Allen after losing to the Carolina Panthers may have been an obvious direction. But that's just the start of the changes that need to come, our Jeff Duncan writes. Jeff took a hard look at what's next — and what's needed. "A head coaching change is a critical task for any organization," Dunc writes. "It’s especially important for one like the Saints, who pride themselves on their familial culture and close-knit management team. The Saints value stability, continuity and familiarity more than most organizations. This is often an organizational strength when compared to dysfunctional peers like the Panthers and Raiders. At times, though, their loyalty can be a blind spot. See: Dell Demps, Pelicans, 2010-2019." The Fighter Our Luke Johnson provides a good look at why the Saints went with Rizzi, who is tasked with getting New Orleans back on track. “I grew up a little bit of a fighter. I’ve never really been handed anything," Rizzi said. "I was a walk-on player in college, I was a free agent in the NFL, I started my coaching career in Division II. I’ve had to work for everything I’ve gotten. This is no different. Who's next? If you're interested in who the Saints might hire, I drew up a list of preliminary candidates — from up-and-comers to retreads to even college coaches. If you have a favorite, send me an email matt.paras@theadvocate.com. I've already had one kind reader wonder why Deion Sanders wasn't listed. Other hittersYesterday was a crazy day, and so here's a quick look at what else we wrote: Dennis Allen released a statement about his time in New OrleansSo did Mickey Loomis and Gayle BensonThe five lowlights of Dennis Allen's tenure Five decisions that led to Allen's firing Firing Allen was the right but difficult call Anyway, that's all for now. Thanks for reading. We'll have plenty of more this week so be on the look out for that. Take care, Matthew Paras | 