Payton was hired as the 14th head coach in Saints history on Jan. 18, 2006 after being a member of the Dallas Cowboys staff since 2003. In 2011 he enters his 15th season in the NFL and 23rd in coaching.
In just five-plus seasons as Head Coach of the New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton
has established himself as one of the most successful coaches in the National Football League during this span leading the Saints to their first Super Bowl title in franchise history and two division titles.
Through his first five-years, Payton has posted a 4-2 (.667) mark in the postseason after the team had won only one playoff game in franchise history prior to his arrival.
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Serving as the club’s play-caller, Payton’s presided over the most prolific offense in the NFL, leading the league in yards per game three-of-his five seasons at the helm and finishing first in scoring in 2008 and 2009. These are the only three times the Saints have led the NFL in total offense. In franchise history, the Saints have scored at least 45 points 10 times. Six of these outputs have occurred under Payton’s watch.
In 2010 Payton led the Saints to their second consecutive postseason appearance and third in five seasons with an 11-5 record, becoming the only the second coach in franchise history to post three double-digit win seasons. It was only the second time in club record books that the Saints had back- to-back 11-win campaigns. The club had six road victories in 2010 as they had back-to-back winning records at visiting stadiums for the first time since 1991 and 1992. In fact, three of the top six road campaigns in team history (7-1 in 2009, 6-2 in both 2006 and 2010) have come under Payton in the last five years. His regular season road winning percentage (25-15, .625) is tops in club history and the NFL’s fourth-best over that period.
In 2009 Payton guided the Saints to the team’s second NFC South title in four seasons with a 13-3 record. Along the way the Saints set a franchise- record for most regular season wins in a season (13), breaking the previous mark of 12 in 1992. Their 16 overall victories were the most for a club in the 44-year history of the franchise. The Saints also posted the longest winning streak in team history when they won their first 13 contests. Payton once again was named as the top head coach in the NFL by numerous media outlets and recognized football chapters.
Payton scrapped the traditional timetable for rebuilding an NFL club in 2006. In his opening season as a head coach, the Saints jumped out to a 3-0 record – a first in team history and equaled the team’s win total from the previous year – and clinched the NFC South title before the regular season finale. New Orleans led the NFL in total offense, went to the postseason for the first time since 2000 and advanced to the NFC Championship for the first time. When 2006 came to a close, Payton was voted the Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers of America, The Sporting News and the Maxwell Club. He and his staff also coached the NFC squad in the Pro Bowl.
Prior to his final season with the Cowboys, Payton was promoted to assistant head coach/passing game coordinator and was responsible for the team’s play- calling. For the previous two years, he had been assistant head coach/quarterbacks.
Payton came to Dallas after four years with the New York Giants (1999-2002), the last three as offensive coordinator after spending his first season as quarterbacks coach. Payton solidified his reputation as one of the game’s brightest offensive minds in 2000. In his first season as coordinator, the Giants captured the NFC title and went to Super Bowl XXXV.
Payton wrapped two coaching stints at San Diego State University (1988-89 and 1992-93) around a stop at Indiana State (1990-91). During his second stretch with the Aztecs, Payton was running backs coach, working with Heisman Trophy runner-up Marshall Faulk before becoming quarterbacks coach. Following the 1993 season, Payton moved to Miami of Ohio (1994-95) where he was quarterbacks coach prior to being promoted to co-offensive coordinator. He spent 1996 as quarterbacks coach at Illinois before entering the NFL with Philadelphia.
Payton earned a bachelor’s degree in communications at Eastern Illinois, where as a quarterback he had 10,665 passing yards, then the third-highest total in NCAA Division I-AA history. The three-time AP All-American selection had professional stints with Chicago of the Arena Football League, Ottawa of the Canadian Football League and the Chicago Bears in 1987. Payton was inducted into the Eastern Illinois Hall of Fame in September of 2000 and had his jersey retired in a ceremony in September, 2010. Born December 29, 1963 in San Mateo, California and raised in Naperville, Illinois, Payton and his wife, Beth, have a daughter and a son.
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