Dennis Allen and the New Orleans Saints are hiring Joe Woods as the team's new defensive coordinator, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Monday morning.

The 52-year-old Woods spent the last three seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, and will join Allen's staff in New Orleans as his next gig. Allen and Woods coached together with the Oakland Raiders in 2014.

A coaching veteran of 26 years, Woods has previously served as an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Raiders, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

During his NFL coaching career, Woods coached seven players to 13 total Pro Bowl selections. He was a player himself, lettering four times as a cornerback and safety during his collegiate career at Illinois State University, captaining the team in 1991 and earning first-team All-Gateway Conference honors after his last season.

Following coaching stints in college football, beginning at Muskingum College and including Eastern Michigan University, Kent State, Grand Valley State, Northwestern State and Western Michigan, he joined the Bucs as the defensive backs coach in 2004.

He was brought to Minnesota along with Mike Tomlin in 2006, spending eight seasons coaching defensive backs with the Vikings; the team finished among the NFL's top ten defenses in four of his five years with the team.

In his first season coaching the Broncos secondary in 2015, Denver finished first in the NFL against the pass, while the defensive backfield accounted for just 11 interceptions, 56 passes defended, nine forced fumbles and four touchdowns. He was part of the team that won Super Bowl 50, before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017.

Joe Woods was hired as the Cleveland Browns' defensive coordinator under head coach Kevin Stenaski in early 2020; in his first season, the Browns advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2002, then won their first playoff game in 26 years.

He was fired this January after a disastrous 2022-23 campaign with the Browns. He will be hoping to return to earlier career form when he reunites with Dennis Allen as the New Orleans Saints' defensive coordinator.