Dennis Allen, New Orleans Saints. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
The heat is on these NFL head coaches when it comes to their job security moving forward.
We could be seeing the next NFL head coach out of a job here very soon.
While six Power Five jobs are open in the college ranks (Arizona State, Auburn, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Nebraska and Wisconsin), only the Carolina Panthers are definitely looking for a new head coach this offseason. Panthers interim Steve Wilks has been put in an impossible situation (again). However, he still faces far less pressure when compared to some of his coaching contemporaries.
Here are five head coaches who are definitely feeling the heat at the halfway point of the season.
NFL hot seat watch, Week 9: What head coaches are really feeling the heat?
5
Dennis Allen
New Orleans Saints (3-5) 
Dennis Allen had his best win as Saints’ head coach last week, can he replicate it?
No doubt about it. This has been a very chaotic season for the entire New Orleans Saints organization. They are another year removed from Drew Brees. While injuries are a part of the game, the Saints have been bitten badly by the injury bug in the first half. There is also the elephant in the room when it comes to the man in the big chair. Is Dennis Allen a head coach?
New Orleans is coming off its best win of the season, which was a surprising shutout victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. While the Saints are fortunate to play in what looks like the worst division in the NFL, they would undoubtedly be atop the NFC South standings if Sean Payton had not retired. Since Payton is not coming back, the Saints need to figure out if they can win with Allen.
Allen will probably get this season and next, but his long-term staying power feels rather bleak.