The Colts are planning to interview Dennis Allen for their defensive coordinator position after firing Gus Bradley last week, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Allen was fired as the Saints’ head coach in November after seven straight losses, but his tenure in New Orleans featured significant improvements on defense. The Colts were a bottom-10 defense in points and yards allowed in 2024, so they could look for a similar turnaround under Allen.
The Saints had one of the worst defenses in the NFL when Allen arrived as a senior defensive assistant under Sean Payton in 2015. He was promoted to defensive coordinator during the season and brought the unit out of the cellar. The Saints boasted a top-five defense in 2020 and 2021, earning Allen a promotion to head coach. He maintained that standard with top-10 finishes in points allowed in 2022 and 2023, though the Saints allowed the third-most yards in 2024.
Allen would bring a more aggressive style of defense to Indianapolis compared to Bradley and his predecessor, Matt Eberflus. The Colts have already signaled their openness to such an approach.
“I definitely think there is value,” said general manager Chris Ballard when asked by ESPN’s Stephen Holder about such a change. “You’ve got to be able to affect the quarterback.”
The Colts’ other defensive coordinator candidates also suggest a change in their defensive philosophy. They have already interviewed Ephraim Banda, who coached safeties in Jim Schwartz‘s aggressive Browns defense, and they plan to interview former Bengals DC Lou Anarumo and former Cardinals HC Steve Wilks, who both have histories as blitz-heavy defensive play-callers.