Dennis Allen, the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, has announced the addition of six assistant coaches to his staff. The new hires include John Benton as offensive line coach, Rick Dennison as senior offensive assistant, Derrick Foster as running backs coach, Andrew Janocko as quarterbacks coach, DeNarius McGhee as assistant wide receivers coach, and Keith Williams as wide receivers coach.

Benton has 33 years of coaching experience, with 19 in the NFL. Since 2004, seven of his offensive lines have ranked among the top ten in the NFL in terms of rushing yards per game. Benton’s past NFL teams include the New York Jets (2021-22), San Francisco 49ers (2017-20), Jacksonville Jaguars (2016), Miami Dolphins (2014-15), Houston Texans (2006-13), and St. Louis Rams (2004-05).

During Benton’s four seasons as offensive line coach in San Francisco (2017-20), the 49ers had the fourth-highest rushing yards in the league, with top ten rushing offenses in each of his last three seasons, including the league’s number one rushing attack in 2019 on route to Super Bowl LIV. During his tenure with the 49ers, three separate running backs – Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson, and Matt Breida – all averaged more than 4.40 yards per carry on at least 200 attempts, making them one of only two clubs in the league with at least three such players. In the passing game, the offensive line protected quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who finished fourth in yards per attempt (8.2), fifth in completion percentage (67.5%), and ninth in passer rating (98.6) among quarterbacks with at least 25 starts in 2018-20.

Before joining the NFL, Benton spent 17 years coaching at the university level. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Colorado State University (1987-90), before going on to California University (Pa.) (1990-94), where he was offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. He returned to Colorado State in 1995, where he spent nine years as offensive line coach (1995-99) and co-offensive coordinator (2000-03).

Benton was a four-year starter on the offensive line at Colorado State (1983-86), earning honorable mention All-WAC accolades in both his junior and senior years.

Dennison brings 27 years of NFL coaching experience to the Saints, having served as a coordinator or offensive line coach in 19 of the previous 21 seasons. Dennison has led teams to 13 postseason appearances, five division crowns, and three Super Bowl victories in his NFL career. Dennison has also coached 18 Pro Bowl players across seven positions, including six offensive linemen. Dennison’s rushing units have averaged 2,056 yards (128.1 ypg.) and 4.4 yards per run while scoring 14.8 touchdowns per season.

Dennison spent three seasons coaching the Minnesota Vikings from 2019 to 21 before joining the Saints. Dennison’s NFL coaching career includes spells with the New York Jets (2018), Buffalo Bills (2017), Baltimore Ravens (2014), Houston Texans (2010-2013), and Denver Broncos (1995-2009, 2015-2016).

Dennison was Minnesota’s offensive line coach/run game coordinator from 2019 to 2020, and he will be senior offensive advisor in 2021. In 2019, the Vikings allowed 28 sacks, which tied for the fifth-lowest total in the NFL and the eighth-lowest total in franchise history, paving the way for a 2,133-yard rushing offense (sixth in the NFL). Running behind Dennison’s offensive line from 2019 to 2020, RB Dalvin Cook led the NFC and the NFL in running yards (3,851) and rushing touchdowns (35) and was named to the Pro Bowl both years. Cook became the franchise’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015, with 1,135. Cook’s 1,557 rushing yards in 2020 was second in the NFL, while his balanced offensive attack rated fourth in the league in net yards per game, up 12 spots from 2018, the club’s highest standing since 2004.

Dennison spent nine seasons in the NFL as a linebacker with the Denver Broncos, participating in 128 regular season games (52 starts) and amassing 514 tackles, 6.5 sacks, four interceptions, six forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. He also appeared in three Super Bowls. Dennison attended Colorado State University and earned three varsity letters, as well as second-team Academic All-American honors as a senior.

Foster, who spent the previous three seasons as a running back coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, will work with the Saints. Under Foster’s guidance, RB Austin Ekeler scored 44 regular-season scrimmage touchdowns (20 in 2021, 18 in 2022, and six in 2023), ranking first in the NFL over that span and leading the league in his first two seasons. Ekeler added two rushing touchdowns in the 2022 AFC Wild Card Playoff at Jacksonville, becoming the eighth player in NFL history to have 20 touchdowns in two seasons (regular and postseason combined). Ekeler led NFL running backs in catches and receiving yardage over the three seasons he was under Foster’s supervision, with 228 receptions for 1,805 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also tied for first in touchdown grabs.

Foster joins the Chargers in 2021 following three seasons at the University of Iowa (2018-20), including the 2020 season as running backs coach and offensive recruiting coordinator. Tyler Goodson, now with the Indianapolis Colts, was chosen first-team All-Big Ten by both media and conference coaches in 2020 after rushing 143 times for 812 yards (5.3 average) and seven touchdowns in an eight-game COVID-shortened season.

Prior to his three-year tenure at Iowa City, Foster worked as the run game coordinator/running backs coach at Samford University (2016-17) and Northwestern State University (2013-15). The Goshen, Alabama native began his coaching career as an offensive assistant at Valdosta State University in 2011, before moving on to train the running backs at the University of Tennessee in a similar role in 2012.

Foster was a running back and wide receiver at Southwest Baptist (Mo.) University, where he started 41 of 44 career games at wideout and finished with 2,062 total yards. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management from Valdosta State in 2010, followed by a master’s degree in public administration in 2013.

Janocko (pronounced juh-NO-co) has 13 years of coaching experience, 11 in the National Football League, the past two as quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears. Janocko had a key role in the development of Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who completed 419-of-688 (60.9%) passes for 4,804 yards and 33 touchdowns while running 284 times for 1,800 yards (6.3 average) and 12 touchdowns in 28 starts during the last two seasons.

Fields became the second-fastest quarterback in NFL history to reach 2,000 rushing yards in just 36 games in Week 14 of the 2023 season, as well as the only third quarterback to do so in his first three seasons. Despite participating in two less games than in 2022 due to injury, Fields improved in most major passing stats in 2023, completing 227-of-370 (61.4%) passes for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns, and an 86.3 passer rating, while rushing 124 times for 657 yards and four scores. The Bears increased their win total from three in 2022 to seven in 2023, with Fields winning four of his last six starts.

Fields completed 2022 with eight rushing touchdowns and 1,143 running yards in 15 starts, joining Lamar Jackson and Michael Vick as one of only three quarterbacks in NFL history to dash for 1,000 yards or more in a single season. He also completed 192-of-318 (60.4%) passes for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns this season, with a passer rating of at least 92.0 in five of eight starts between Weeks 8 and 17.

Janocko previously spent seven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, where he coached the offensive line (2017-19), wide receivers (2020), and quarterbacks (2021).

Janocko helped veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins throw for 4,221 yards, 33 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a 103.1 passer rating in 2021, earning him a spot in his third Pro Bowl. Cousins had the fourth-best passer rating in the NFL in 2021, and he was one of only two quarterbacks to throw for more than 30 touchdowns and less than ten picks.

With Janocko as his position coach in 2020, first-round draft pick Justin Jefferson enjoyed one of the best rookie receiver seasons in NFL history. Jefferson set a rookie receiving record of 1,400 yards, becoming the NFL’s first rookie receiver to earn AP All-Pro honors since Randy Moss in 1998, and was named to his first Pro Bowl. Veteran wideout Adam Thielen set a career high with 14 touchdown catches.

Janocko started his coaching career in 2011 as a graduate assistant at Rutgers. He began his NFL career as an offensive quality control coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2012-13), before becoming the quarterbacks coach at Mercyhurst University in 2014.

Janocko was a three-year letterwinner as a backup quarterback and special teams holder for Pittsburgh from 2007 to 2010. The Clearfield, Pennsylvania native was named to the Big East All-Academic Team three times before graduating in 2010 with a degree in history and a minor in political science.