Sean Payton
Head Coach — New Orleans Saints
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About Sean Payton
Sean Payton coached the Saints from 2006 to 2021, won Super Bowl XLIV, survived Bountygate, got suspended for a year, came back, and then left New Orleans to go coach the Denver Broncos like a man who got bored of being worshipped. He is the greatest coach in Saints history and the one Saints fans are the most bitter about losing. Every time he shows up on the Broncos sideline with that smug grin and his play sheet covering half his face, a thousand Saints fans tweet something about an ex-boyfriend. He is the one who got away, except he chose to leave, which makes it worse.
Payton's era in New Orleans was defined by offensive brilliance, questionable defensive investments, and a culture of aggression that made the Saints appointment television for 15 years. The onside kick to open the second half of the Super Bowl. The trick plays. The willingness to go for it on fourth down when every other coach would punt. He made football in the Superdome feel like a party, and when he left, he took the fun with him. Saints fans still haven't forgiven him, and they also haven't stopped missing him. Both things are true at the same time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do Saints fans still talk about Sean Payton?
Because the franchise has not been the same since he left. Payton turned the Saints from a historically terrible franchise into a Super Bowl champion and a perennial contender. He and Drew Brees built something that defined New Orleans football for a generation. When he walked away, the Saints went through Dennis Allen and eventually Kellen Moore, and neither has replicated that magic. Every bad loss, every boring offensive game plan, every conservative decision gets compared to what Payton would have done. He's the ghost that haunts every coaching decision.
What was Bountygate and why does it still come up?
In 2012, the NFL determined that the Saints had run a pay-for-performance system where defensive players were rewarded financially for big hits and injuring opposing players. Payton was suspended for the entire 2012 season, the longest coaching suspension in NFL history. The scandal tainted the Saints' Super Bowl legacy in the eyes of some fans and media. It still comes up because it's one of the most controversial chapters in modern NFL history, and because the internet will never let Sean Payton forget it. Every time he acts smug on the sideline, someone replies with 'Bountygate' and a Wikipedia link.
Last updated: April 2026