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Darren Rizzi, who has served as the Saints special teams coach since 2022, was named interim head coach on Monday, Nov. 4, after the team fired Head Coach Dennis Allen.
The 54-year-old Hillsdale, NJ, native was one of Bergen Catholic's most widely recognized receivers, bringing the school's football team to the State Championship Game twice. The team won a title in 1986, and Rizzi held a BC career record of 69 receptions — a title that he held for 22 years, for 1,239 yards and 11 TDs, the BC website shows.
The BC Hall of Famer's football career continued at the University of Rhode Island, where he was a three-year started and two-time All-American choice.
Rizzi tried out for the Philadelphia Eagles before a career in coaching at various schools, including Colgate, New Haven, Northeastern, Rutgers, and Rhode Island.
He began his coaching career at the University of New Haven as the school's special teams coordinator and defensive line coach from 1994 through 1996.
He returned to the school in 1999 for his first head coaching job and compiled a 15-14 record through 2001. He left in 2002 for an offensive assistant position at Villanova University, according to the Saints media guide.
Prior to joining the Saints' coaching team, Rizzi coached the Miami Dolphins.
In his first press conference as interim head coach, Rizzi called Allen a close personal friend and wished him well. He also took accountability for being a part of the team's 2-7 record.
"No one should be happy," he said. "This city deserves a winner. They know what winning football looks like and it's our job to bring that back."
The Saints started the season strong but imploded after injuries and poor game management sent the team on a seven-game skid. The final straw came Sunday, Nov. 3, when the team lost to the Carolina Panthers 22-23, leaving the team at the bottom of the NFC South Division.
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