Saints hire Allen; Texans tab Lovie

The Saints have promoted defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to head coach, two people familiar with the decision said Monday.

Allen replaces Sean Payton, who resigned nearly two weeks ago after 16 years with the club.

The club had interviewed outside candidates, including former Miami coach

Brian Flores, Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

Allen, 49, is in his second stint with the Saints. He was their secondary coach when they won the Super Bowl in the 2009 season. He left New Orleans in 2011 to become Denver’s defensive coordinator before taking his first and only other head coaching position with Raiders in 2012.

Meanwhile, in Houston, Lovie Smith has been hired as the new head coach of the Texans.

Smith, who is Black, is the second minority candidate to be hired this offseason after the Dolphins hired 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who is biracial, on Sunday.

Smith spent last season as Houston’s associate head coach and defensive coordinator. He will take over for David Culley, who is also Black, and was fired after just one season.

One of the candidates interviewed for the Texans job was Flores, who sued the NFL last week over alleged racist hiring practices.

Flores issued a statement through his legal team applauding the Texans for hiring a Black man, but questioning why he wasn’t offered the job.

“We would be remiss not to mention that Mr. Flores was one of three finalists for the Texans’ head coach position and, after a great interview and mutual interest, it is obvious that the only reason Mr. Flores was not selected was his decision to stand up against racial inequality across the NFL,” his legal team said in a statement.

KAMARA POSTS BOND

Saints running back Alvin Kamara is out of jail after he was arrested over the weekend on a felony charge alleging he beat and injured a person at a Las Vegas nightclub.

Court and jail records showed Monday that Kamara posted bond and was released from the Clark County Detention Center. He has a March 8 court date on a charge of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm.

The records did not identify his attorney. A conviction on the charge could result in a sentence of one to five years in state prison.

Las Vegas police say a person at a hospital on Saturday reported having been beaten at a nightclub and detectives determined the attack involved Kamara.

Kamara was arrested Sunday, after playing for the NFC in the NFL Pro Bowl game. Kamara ran for 1,337 yards from scrimmage and nine TDs this season.