Sources say Sean Payton new Saints coach

ESPN.com news services


Sean Payton, the Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach, has accepted the New Orleans Saints head coach job, according to sources close the Saints and Cowboys, ESPN.com's John Clayton reported.

Payton could be introduced as early as Wednesday at the team's practice facility in Metairie, La.

Payton and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis negotiated a multi-year contract Tuesday, The Times-Picayune in New Orleans reported Tuesday.

Payton worked for the last three years under Bill Parcells with the Dallas Cowboys. He was assistant head coach/passing game coordinator for the Cowboys this season and was the assistant head coach/quarterbacks for the two previous seasons. Before that, he was Jim Fassel's offensive coordinator with the New York Giants -- a stint that included the Giants' NFC championship in 2000-01. He played quarterback at I-AA Eastern Illinois, followed by a brief pro playing career in the CFL with Ottawa and the NFL as a replacement player with Chicago during the strike season of 1987.



Payton would succeed Jim Haslett, whose tenure lasted six years. The team compiled a 3-13 record for 2005, a season in which all of their "home" games were played on the road because of Hurricane Katrina. The Saints had an aggregate .500 record during Haslett's first five seasons.

Payton met with Saints officials about the head coaching job on Thursday, and his interview lasted an hour longer than expected.

Payton's interview in New Orleans last week followed those of New York Jets defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson and Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon. Mike Sherman, recently fired as the Green Bay Packers' head coach, and former St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz also interviewed for the job late last week

 

here is another article confirming this.


Another coaching vacancy has been filled.

FOXSports.com has learned that the New Orleans Saints have agreed in principle to a deal to make Dallas offensive coordinator Sean Payton their new head coach. The two sides are trying to iron out a final contract, which has not yet been signed.
Payton interviewed twice with Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, as did Jets defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson. Other top candidates included Browns offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon and former Packers coach Mike Sherman.
Payton won out after strong recommendations from close coaching cronies inside the division, Carolina's John Fox and Tampa Bay's Jon Gruden, as well as from many others throughout the NFL. He was offered the Raiders' coaching job two years ago but turned it down.
The Saints were searching for a coach who would work well with a young quarterback. New Orleans has the second overall pick in April's draft and is expected to draft either Matt Leinart or Vince Young with that selection. Hiring Payton makes sense in that regard.
Payton is Bill Parcells' offensive coordinator after having served the same role with the New York Giants under Jim Fassel, where he worked with Fox. He also worked under Gruden in Philadelphia.
The team is expected to make an official announcement on Wednesday.
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Interesting. If I were Payton, I dunno if I woulda taken it, but a gig's a gig. Fun part is that now we have another coach in division that Fox knows well.

 

poor fella

 

He's the guy that Jim Fassel took the playcalling duties away from when the Giants were going downhill on his watch. Never knew if it was fair, but it happened.

 

i've wondered how a replacement player/scab - yeah, even an ex-bear - ever stuck around in the league and related with players.

 

found that interestin too....

 

Why did they hire Ben Stiller?

 

scapegoated. Fassel did this to Jim Skipper also, who was his original OC.

 

damn, that dude looks like either a weasel or one of those whatcha call its - riki tiki tavi.