So what's next?

For only the 13th time in franchise history, the New Orleans Saints are looking for a new head coach.

Dennis Allen's firing on Monday ended his three-year tenure in New Orleans and marked the end of an era. As the most prominent holdover from the Sean Payton and Drew Brees era, Allen's firing will likely open the door to a new direction for the Saints, who have been steeped in the cultural philosophy established by Payton in 2006 for nearly two decades.

The Saints have now reached a crossroads.

Owner Gayle Benson and trusted lieutenants Mickey Loomis and Dennis Lauscha must decide the organization's future path. Whichever direction they choose will determine the trajectory of the Saints.

So many questions remain unanswered:

Is interim coach Darren Rizzi a suitable candidate for the job?

Or do they want to start over completely like they did when they landed Payton in 2006?

Will they go big game hunting and pursue an alpha head coaching candidate like Bill Belichick or Mike Vrabel?

Or will they follow the Payton plan and tap the coordinator market for a rising star like Joe Brady, Ben Johnson or Bobby Slowik?

And finally: Are the changes limited exclusively to the position of head coach? Or are further steps being considered?

We'll have to wait until Loomis and/or Benson address the media before we learn the answers to these questions. Neither was available to the media on Monday. Instead, interim coach Darren Rizzi, safety Tyrann Mathieu and tight end Foster Moreau were sent to speak to reporters on Black Monday.

“If something has to change, then something has to change,” Rizzi said as he shared his message with Saints players during a team meeting earlier in the day.

The quote comes from one of his coaching mentors, Bill Parcells, the former head coach and front office executive who famously embraced change during his Hall of Fame career.

“We've been doing things the same way here for a long, long time, and maybe some are good, some maybe not,” Rizzi said. “We will certainly do some other things in the future.”

In his groundbreaking manual, The Art of War, Sun Tzu recognized: “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”

The Saints took advantage of their opportunity when they hired Payton and signed Brees in the post-Katrina chaos of 2006. A similar chance exists in this round.

A head coach change is a crucial task for any organization. This is particularly important for someone like the Saints, who pride themselves on their family culture and close-knit management team. The Saints value stability, continuity and familiarity more than most organizations. This is often an organizational strength compared to dysfunctional peers like the Panthers and Raiders. However, sometimes their loyalty can be a blind spot. See: Dell Demps, Pelicans, 2010-2019.

The Saints' leadership hierarchy has enjoyed relative stability for nearly two decades. With key members of the group beginning their tenures in August — Benson is 77, Loomis is 68 — they only have a limited number of head coaches to hire. They both wanted Allen to be their last.

The fact that they are back at the drawing board three years after personally selecting Allen as Payton's successor is extremely disappointing for everyone involved.

There are only 32 NFL head coaching jobs worldwide, so interest in the Saints position will be high. There will be no shortage of applicants interested in the position.

But whoever becomes the club's 13th head coach will face major challenges. The squad is getting old and is in transition. There is no long-term quarterback solution. And the salary cap situation remains chaotic for another year or two.

The decision to fire Allen was difficult but necessary. Now comes the even harder part: replacing it. But there is a great opportunity here for the Saints.

Will they hit a home run like they did with Payton?

Or will they strike like they did with Allen and be back here in 2027 looking for head coach No. 14?

The future of the Saints depends on this attitude.