The New Orleans Saints ushered in the first head coach in the post-Sean Payton era when they announced the hiring of Dennis Allen, their defensive coordinator, as their new head coach. Allen was formally introduced as the Saints head coach on Tuesday and made some remarks, delivering a heartfelt message to Payton and fans of the franchise.

First, Dennis Allen took the time to thank former Saints head coach Sean Payton, who he commended as a “Hall of Fame football coach.” Not only that, but Allen said that Payton's decision to bring him to New Orleans was the “greatest thing to ever happen to him professionally.”

Clearly, Allen looks at Payton as a mentor and believes that learning from the longtime Saints head coach was huge for his own development as a leader. Allen then delivered a heartfelt message to New Orleans fans.

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Allen said that he loves the fans and praised them for their high level of passion and energy. He's clearly excited by the fact that he'll be remaining with the Saints organization.

While there will certainly be questions as to how Allen plans to remodel the Saints offense, no one should question his passion or his expertise on the defensive side of the ball, two areas where he should hit the ground running as the franchise's newest leader.