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New Orleans Saints fire offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.

Nikki Chavanelleby:Nikki Chavanelle•01/16/24•

NikkiChavanelle

Samson Nacua
Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The New Orleans Saints opted to make a change on Tuesday, firing long-time offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. Carmichael, who’s been with New Orleans since 2006, took over as offensive coordinator in 2009 under head coach Sean Payton. After the Saints hired Dennis Allen, the new head coach chose to hold on to the coordinator to establish some consistency. Alas, change is on the horizon.

“These types of decisions are never easy to come to, but are necessary as we move forward,” Allen said in a statement. “I would especially like to thank Pete for his contributions to this staff for 18 seasons. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the job he has done and as a colleague.”

On top of firing Carmichael, Allen is also looking to move out some other pieces on his offensive staff. Senior Offensive Assistant Bob Bicknell and wide receivers coach Kodi Burns. Burns, a former Auburn star, was previously the wide receivers coach for the Tennessee Volunteers and co-offensive coordinator at his alma mater.

Saints fall short of playoff hopes

The Saints finished the 2023 regular season with a 9-8 record but they did not make the playoffs. Despite the Buccaneers’ similar 9-8 record, Tampa Bay was the team to advance out of the NFC South. After starting the year off with narrow wins against the Titans and Panthers, the Saints proved inconsistent. They didn’t string more than two wins together in a row but also only lost one game by more than 10 points.

This season, New Orleans’ offense scored 23.6 points per game, which ranked 10th among all 32 teams. In yards per game, it ranked 14th, 12th in passing yards but 21st in rushing yards. Veteran quarterback Derek Carr played in all 17 games, passing for 3,878 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The team did not manage to record a 1,000-yard rushing season from any running back this year as Alvin Kamara finished with 694 yards in 13 games. Wide receiver Chris Olave was the team’s only 1,000-yard receiver, topping 1,100 yards with five touchdowns on 87 receptions.