Sean Payton facts for kids
Payton as New Orleans Saints head coach, 2021
|
|||||||||||||||
| Denver Broncos | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Head coach | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | December 29, 1963 San Mateo, California, U.S. |
||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Naperville Central (Naperville, Illinois) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Eastern Illinois (1983–1986) | ||||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1987 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| As player: | |||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| As coach: | |||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Career Arena statistics | |||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Head coaching record | |||||||||||||||
| Regular season: | 170–105 (.618) | ||||||||||||||
| Postseason: | 9–9 (.500) | ||||||||||||||
| Career: | 179–114 (.611) | ||||||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||
| Coaching stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||
| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |||||||||||||||
Patrick Sean Payton (born December 29, 1963) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL). Before this, he coached the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2021. He led the Saints to their first Super Bowl win in 2009.
Payton played college football for the Eastern Illinois Panthers. He also played professionally for a short time in 1987 with the Chicago Bears. In 1988, he played overseas in Britain for the Leicester Panthers.
He started his coaching career as an assistant at San Diego State University in 1988. He then held several assistant coaching jobs for college and NFL teams. In 2006, he became the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Payton is known for his strong offensive strategies. His teams have often scored many points and gained lots of yards.
Under Payton's coaching, the Saints made the playoffs in 2006. This was a big improvement from their 3–13 record in 2005. They reached their first NFC Championship game ever. For this achievement, Payton won the AP NFL Coach of the Year Award. In 16 seasons with the Saints, he led them to three NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl victory. He also guided them to nine playoff appearances and seven division titles. This makes him the most successful coach in Saints history.
In April 2012, Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 NFL season. This was due to his involvement in a situation where rules were broken. He was reinstated in January 2013. In 2024, in his second year with the Denver Broncos, the team made the playoffs.
Contents
Early Life and College Football
Sean Payton was born in San Mateo, California. He grew up in Naperville, Illinois. His parents, Thomas and Jeanne Payton, were from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Sean lived in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, during his early school years.
He went to Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinois. He was the starting quarterback in his senior year. After high school, he earned a football scholarship to Eastern Illinois University. He had a successful career as a quarterback there. In 1986, he led the Panthers to an 11–2 record. They reached the quarter-finals of the Division I-AA Playoffs.
Playing Career Highlights
Sean Payton was not chosen in the 1987 NFL draft. However, he did try out for the Kansas City Chiefs. In 1987, he played quarterback for two teams in the first season of the Arena Football League. These teams were the Chicago Bruisers and the Pittsburgh Gladiators.
Later that year, he joined the Ottawa Rough Riders in the Canadian Football League. He also played for the Chicago Bears during the 1987 NFL players strike. He played in three games for the Bears. In 1988, he played for the Leicester Panthers in the UK. He helped them achieve an 8–5 record. After this, Payton returned to the U.S. to start his coaching career.
Coaching Career Beginnings
Payton started coaching in 1988 as an offensive assistant. This was at San Diego State University. He then held several assistant coaching jobs. These included positions at Indiana State University, Miami University (as offensive coordinator), and Illinois. He also returned to San Diego State as a running backs coach.
In 1997, he became the quarterbacks coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. He worked with Jon Gruden there. In 1999, Payton moved to the New York Giants as quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2000. Under his guidance, the Giants reached Super Bowl XXXV.
In 2003, Payton joined Bill Parcells and the Dallas Cowboys. He worked as an assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. He helped three different quarterbacks throw for over 3,000 yards. He also played a key role in the Cowboys signing Tony Romo in 2003.
New Orleans Saints Head Coach (2006–2021)
Sean Payton became the head coach of the New Orleans Saints in 2006. The team had a tough time after Hurricane Katrina. They finished with a 3–13 record in 2005. Payton helped turn the team around quickly. With new quarterback Drew Brees, they made the playoffs in 2006. Their offense was one of the best in the league. The Saints won their division with a 10–6 record. They reached the NFC Championship Game. Payton won the NFL Coach of the Year Award for this effort.
In 2009, Payton led the Saints to their most successful season. They had a 13–3 record. They won their playoff games and went to the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XLIV, the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31–17. This was the team's first Super Bowl championship.
In June 2010, Payton published a book called Home Team: Coaching the Saints and New Orleans Back to Life. It became a bestseller. In 2011, Payton broke his leg during a game. He coached from the booth while recovering.
Suspension and Return
During his 2012 suspension from the NFL, Payton coached his son Connor's sixth-grade team. He used a simpler version of the Saints' plays. His team went unbeaten for most of the season. He even got advice from his mentor, Bill Parcells, to help his team.
Payton returned to coach the New Orleans Saints in 2013. He signed a new contract extension in 2016. On Christmas Eve 2016, he earned his 94th win as Saints head coach. This made him the winningest coach in the team's history.
The 2017 season saw the Saints finish with an 11–5 record. They won their first playoff game. However, they lost a close game to the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round. This game ended with a famous play known as the Minneapolis Miracle.
In the 2018 season, the Saints had a 13–3 record. They were the top team in the NFC. They reached the NFC Championship Game. They lost to the Los Angeles Rams in overtime.
The Saints finished 13–3 again in 2019. But they lost in the wild-card round of the playoffs. After the 2021 NFL season, Payton announced he was stepping down as head coach. He finished his time with the Saints with 161 wins and 97 losses.
Initial Retirement and Broadcasting
After leaving the Saints, Payton joined Fox in 2022. He worked as a studio analyst for Fox NFL Sunday. He filled in for Jimmy Johnson on some days.
Denver Broncos Head Coach (2023–Present)
In January 2023, Sean Payton interviewed for several head coach openings. On January 31, 2023, he accepted the head coach position for the Denver Broncos. To get Payton from the Saints, the Broncos traded some draft picks.
In Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season, Payton coached the Broncos against his former team, the Saints. The Broncos won 33–10. With this win, Payton became the eighth head coach in NFL history to defeat all 32 teams in the league. In Week 18, the Broncos made the playoffs for the first time since 2015. They defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 38-0. However, they lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round.
Head Coaching Record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| NO | 2006 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 1st in NFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Chicago Bears in NFC Championship Game |
| NO | 2007 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3rd in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| NO | 2008 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4th in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| NO | 2009 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in NFC South | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XLIV champions |
| NO | 2010 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 2nd in NFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Seattle Seahawks in NFC Wild Card Game |
| NO | 2011 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in NFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to San Francisco 49ers in NFC Divisional Game |
| NO | 2012 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | Suspended | — | — | — | — |
| NO | 2013 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 2nd in NFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Seattle Seahawks in NFC Divisional Game |
| NO | 2014 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2nd in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| NO | 2015 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3rd in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| NO | 2016 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3rd in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| NO | 2017 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 1st in NFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Minnesota Vikings in NFC Divisional Game |
| NO | 2018 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in NFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Los Angeles Rams in NFC Championship Game |
| NO | 2019 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in NFC South | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Minnesota Vikings in NFC Wild Card Game |
| NO | 2020 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in NFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Tampa Bay Buccaneers in NFC Divisional Game |
| NO | 2021 | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 2nd in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| NO total | 152 | 89 | 0 | .631 | 9 | 8 | .529 | |||
| DEN | 2023 | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3rd in AFC West | — | — | — | — |
| DEN | 2024 | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 3rd in AFC West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Buffalo Bills in AFC Wild Card Game |
| DEN total | 18 | 16 | 0 | .529 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |||
| Total | 170 | 105 | 0 | .618 | 9 | 9 | .500 | |||
Personal Life
Sean Payton met Beth Shuey while coaching at Indiana State University. They had two children, a daughter named Meghan and a son named Connor. Payton is Irish Catholic. The family moved to Mandeville, Louisiana, when he became the Saints' head coach.
After his divorce, Payton moved to Uptown New Orleans in 2014. He bought a condo there. In 2015, he hosted a dinner for the coaches and players who had been with the Saints since he started. He gave each of them a Rolex watch.
In January 2018, New Orleans musician Shamarr Allen made a song for Payton. It was called "Hit the Sean Payton." This was after a video of Payton dancing with Saints players went viral. On November 8, 2019, Payton got engaged to Skylene Montgomery. They married on June 18, 2021, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
On March 19, 2020, it was reported that Payton had tested positive for COVID-19. He was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the NFL.
