Mickey Loomis wanted everyone to know who was really responsible for the New Orleans Saints’ success after Drew Brees retired and Sean Payton moved on to other endeavors. After Loomis opted for Dennis Allen and the team went down the tubes, there’s no doubt about it now. The fact that Payton beat out his successor in prime time only highlights this.
Before Allen was hired, the teams Loomis had built without Payton had a 28-36 record (a .438 winning percentage). Now, after Allen’s 18-25 run, Loomis has a 46-61 (.430) record when Payton wasn’t coaching his team. That’s not counting the 2012 season, when both Payton and Loomis were suspended, but the 7-9 record this year wouldn’t really help him either (Loomis is 53-70 without Payton, or .431).
Maybe things would have been different if Loomis had hired someone who didn’t already have an 8-28 record as a head coach to replace the winningest coach in team history. Maybe the foundation of this team was just weaker than he thought. Either way, what matters now is whether the Saints can dig themselves out of this hole. And whether Loomis is the right man to get the job done.
