Carmichael out as Saints OC amid staff changes

Pete Carmichael Jr., the longest-tenured offensive coordinator in the NFL, will not return to the New Orleans Saints in 2024, coach Dennis Allen announced Tuesday.

Senior offensive assistant Bob Bicknell and wide receivers coach Kodi Burns were also fired, and running backs coach Joel Thomas left for the same position with the New York Giants.

“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.”

The team finished in the top 10 in scoring offense or total offense in 14 out of Carmichael’s 18 seasons with the Saints.

A member of Sean Payton’s original coaching staff, Carmichael arrived in New Orleans as quarterbacks coach in 2006.

He had been the team’s offensive coordinator since 2009, although Payton remained the team’s primary playcaller for most of his tenure from 2006 until Payton’s departure after the 2021 season.

Carmichael was the last remaining coach from Payton’s original staff who was with the team the entire time. Allen and current Saints offensive line coach Doug Marrone were both with the Saints in 2006, but they left to take other jobs before returning to New Orleans.

Carmichael, who worked with former NFL quarterback Drew Brees in San Diego and as his quarterback coach in New Orleans, was a key part of the Saints’ Super Bowl win in 2009. He was the team’s playcaller for the remainder of the 2011 season after Payton broke his left leg in a Week 6 game against the Bucs and for the 2012 season, when Payton was suspended.

The Saints finished first in total offense in 2011 and second in 2012.

Carmichael also called plays for some of the 2016 season before taking on that role full time in 2022 after Payton stepped away from football for the season. However, he came under scrutiny the past two seasons after the Saints finished 19th in total offense in 2022 and 14th in 2023. They also experienced early-season struggles in the red zone.

Burns and Bicknell were in their second seasons with New Orleans.

While Saints wide receiver Chris Olave had two 1,000-yard receiving seasons in that span, the Saints also had difficulty getting the receivers on the same page with quarterback Derek Carr.

Thomas had served as running backs coach since 2015.