Rick Dennison | Meet the 2024 New Orleans Saints Coaches

Dennison was a part of winning programs, posting a .500 or better record in 20 of his 27 NFL seasons and having 12 seasons of 10 or more wins. His 17 seasons in Denver produced three Super Bowl titles, eight playoff appearances, four AFC West titles and eight seasons of 10 or more wins, while suffering only two losing seasons.

Dennison coached 18 different Pro Bowl players at seven different positions, including six offensive linemen. Of those six players, five made their first Pro Bowl appearance under him, while three made every trip with him as a coach. During his career as an offensive line coach and offensive coordinator, his rushing attacks averaged 2,056 yards per season (128.1 ypg) and 4.4 yards per carry, while producing 14.8 touchdowns per season.

Dennison served as the offensive line coach/running game coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings from 2019-20 and as their senior offensive advisor in 2021. In 2019, the Vikings’ 28 sacks (12 fewer than the 40 they allowed in 2018) were tied for the fifth-fewest in the NFL and tied for the eighth-fewest in franchise history, leading a rushing attack that gained 2,133 yards (sixth-most in the NFL). Blocking behind Dennison’s offensive line from 2019-20, RB Dalvin Cook ranked first in the NFC and second in the NFL in both rushing yards (3,851) and rushing touchdowns (35) and was selected to the Pro Bowl both seasons. In 2019, Cook (1,135) became the franchise’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Adrian Peterson in 2015. Cook’s 1,557 rushing yards in 2020 ranked second in the NFL and produced a balanced offensive attack that ranked fourth in the league in net yards per game. The No. 4 ranking in total offense was a 12-spot jump from 2018 and the club’s highest ranking since 2004.

Prior to joining the Vikings, Dennison served on staffs with the New York Jets (2018), Buffalo Bills (2017), Baltimore Ravens (2014), Houston Texans (2010-13) and had two stints with the Denver Broncos (1995-09, 2015-16) in various roles.

In 2018, Dennison’s lone season as the Jets’ offensive line coach/running game coordinator, the group allowed ten fewer sacks (37) than in 2017, protecting QB Sam Darnold while setting rookie records in touchdown passes (17) and gross yards per game (220.4).

In 2017, Dennison was the Bills’ offensive coordinator, helping Buffalo’s offense rank sixth in rushing as RB LeSean McCoy and G Richie Incognito both received Pro Bowl recognition.

Upon returning to Denver as offensive coordinator in 2015, Dennison oversaw the Broncos’ offense as the team battled through a tough schedule to finish 12-4, win the AFC West and claim the top spot in the AFC. Despite a midseason injury to Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, Dennison helped the Broncos go 5-2 in Brock Osweiler’s first seven career starts before Manning returned in Week 17. The offense committed just three turnovers in the playoffs en route to a world championship in Super Bowl 50 against Carolina.

After Manning retired, Dennison coached first-year starting QB Trevor Siemian in 2016, a seventh-round pick (#250) in the 2015 NFL Draft. In 14 games, Siemian completed 289 of 486 passes for 3,401 yards, 18 touchdowns, and only ten interceptions.

In Dennison’s only season with Baltimore (2014) and his only season as quarterbacks coach, Joe Flacco set career highs in passing yards (3,986, since broken) and touchdown passes (27) and posted a combined eight games with a passer rating above 100.0 while being sacked just 19 times, 29 fewer than the previous year.

In Houston (2010-13), Texans running backs had an NFL-record 29 individual 100-yard rushing performances, including 24 by Arian Foster, who was named AP A three-time All-Pro selection during his four years under Dennison. During the 2012 season, seven of Houston’s 11 offensive starters were Pro Bowlers.

His first offensive coordinator job was with the Broncos (2006–08). The offense ranked seventh in the NFL (350.5 yards per game) as Dennison oversaw one of only two units in the league to rank in the top 10 in both passing and rushing. He previously worked as an offensive line coach (2001–05) and special teams coach (1997–00). From 2001–05, Denver led the NFL in rushing over that five-season span, averaging 145.6 yards per game on the ground and 2,328 yards per season on the ground.

During his tenure as special teams coach in Denver, the club won back-to-back Super Bowls, beating Green Bay for the title in Super Bowl XXXII and following up in John Elway’s final game with a victory in Super Bowl XXXIII over Atlanta. Dennison joined Denver’s staff in 1995 after spending the previous three years coaching at the high school level for Suffield (Conn.) Academy. He worked in Denver for two years as an offensive assistant (1995-96) before being promoted to special teams coach in 1997.

Dennison played nine seasons at linebacker for the Broncos, appearing in 128 games (including 52 as a starter) and recording 514 tackles, 6.5 sacks, four interceptions, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He appeared in three Super Bowls as a player and received the team’s Ed Block Courage Award in 1989.

At CSU, he earned three varsity letters and was named a second-team Academic All-American as a senior. Dennison earned two degrees in civil engineering from CSU, first his bachelor’s degree in 1979 and then his master’s degree in 1982.

A native of Kalispell, Montana, Dennison attended Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he played football, basketball and baseball.

Dennison and his wife, Shannon, have three sons, Joseph, Steven and Trey, and twin daughters, Abrynn and Allie. His son, Joseph, is married to Hayley and the couple have three sons.

PLAYING CAREER: Colorado State, 1976, 1978-79; Denver Broncos, 1982-90.

COACHING CAREER: Suffield Academy (Connecticut), 1992-1994; Denver Broncos, 1995-2009; Houston Texans, 2010-2013; Baltimore Ravens, 2014; Denver Broncos, 2015-2016; Buffalo Bills, 2017; New York Jets, 2018; Minnesota Vikings, 2019-2021; New Orleans Saints, 2024