Who will be the Saints' next head coach?

The New Orleans Saints have fired Dennis Allen and are now looking for a new head coach. The team has narrowed down the candidate pool to seven potential candidates, including Saints special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, former Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, and Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Rizzi, 54, has never been a head coach at the NFL level but has two college head coaching stints with New Haven and Rhode Island. He also has assistant head coaching titles with the Miami Dolphins and the Saints.

McCarthy, 61, has a long relationship with the Saints, dating back to the 2000 season when he was hired as an assistant coach. He was the Saints' offensive coordinator from 2000 to 2004 and then left to accept the same position with the San Francisco 49ers in 2005.

Brady, 35, is the youngest of all the potential candidates and has three seasons at the coordinator level. He started his NFL career as a Saints offensive assistant in 2017 before spending one year as LSU's passing game coordinator during their 2019 national championship season.

The Saints are expected to complete a second round of in-person interviews this week. The team has also been unable to fly in candidates for interviews because of a snowstorm and extreme cold in New Orleans.

Two other teams have also completed their coaching searches, with the New England Patriots hiring former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel and the Chicago Bears hiring former Lions OC Ben Johnson.

Here's a look at the remaining candidates for the Saints coaching job:

• Darren Rizzi: Saints interim coach, 3-5 record in 2024 season
• Anthony Weaver: Dolphins DC, 44, former Saints first-round pick in 2002
• Joe Brady: Bills OC, 35, former Saints offensive assistant in 2017
• Mike Kafka: Giants OC, 37, former Saints quarterback coach in 2018-2021
• Kellen Moore: Eagles OC, 36, former Cowboys quarterback and offensive coordinator
• Mike McCarthy: Former Cowboys coach, 61, former Saints offensive coordinator in 2000-2004
• Kliff Kingsbury: Commanders OC, 45, former Cardinals head coach