Dennis Allen

Dennis Allen was born on September 22, 1972, in Atlanta, Georgia. He played collegiate football at Texas A&M as a safety, starting the final 21 games of his career. After his playing career, Allen began coaching at his alma mater as a graduate assistant from 1996 to 1999, focusing on defensive backs. He then served as the secondary coach at Tulsa from 2000 to 2001.

Allen’s NFL coaching career began in 2002 with the Atlanta Falcons, where he spent four seasons in defensive quality control and as a defensive assistant. He joined the New Orleans Saints in 2006, initially as an assistant defensive line coach, then moving to secondary coach from 2008 to 2010. During this period, he contributed to the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV victory in 2009. In 2011, he became the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos, leading a defense that featured four Pro Bowl selections and the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

He served as head coach for the Oakland Raiders from 2012 to 2014. Allen returned to the Saints in 2015 as a senior defensive assistant, quickly being promoted to defensive coordinator later that year. He held this role until 2021, and during his tenure, the Saints consistently ranked in the top 10 in various defensive categories. In 2022, he was promoted to head coach of the New Orleans Saints, serving until 2024. In 2025, Allen joined the Chicago Bears as their defensive coordinator, marking his 30th season in coaching.