In a press conference, Sean Payton announced his retirement from the NFL after 15 years as the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
During his press conference, he was asked what was next in his career. He brought up a possible move into the media:
“I don’t know what’s next," the head coach said. "I read the reports, and understand, I’ve not spoken to anyone from a media outlet relative to doing television or radio. Maybe that opportunity arises, but every time I read something that says, ‘He’s in line for this job,’ I’ll call my agent Don and say, ‘Don, have you heard anything?’ I’ve not heard anything.’ I think I’d like to do that. I think I’d be pretty good at it.”
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Payton was hired as the 10th head coach in Saints history in 2006, replacing Jim Haslett. The coach went 10-6 in his first year, winning the NFC South division. New Orleans made it to the NFC Conference championship game that season, losing to the Chicago Bears by a score of 39-14.
After an 8-8 record in the 2007 season and a 9-7 record in the 2008 season, he and the Saints made it to the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl.
They defeated the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLVI (46) by a score of 31-17.
Sean Payton and his time with the New Orleans Saints
Overall, the head coach went 152-89 (.631) during his tenure with the Saints and is the team’s all-time winningest coach. His 17 playoff games are far and away the most, as are his nine wins in the postseason.
New Orleans won the NFC South seven times and had nine seasons of more than 10 wins, including four 13-win seasons with him on the sidelines. The team finished first in total offense in six seasons and in the top 15 for 13 seasons under Payton.
Before his arrival, the Saints played in just six playoff games from 1967 to 2005, winning one playoff game.
Prior to his head coaching job, he spent three years (2000-2002) as the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants. From 2003 to 2005, he was the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Dallas Cowboys under Bill Parcells.
As the 58-year-old coach is heading into retirement, could we next see him in a booth or in a network studio? Maybe on another NFL sideline? Time will tell, but whatever is next, the California-born coach will thrive in the same way he did as a head coach.
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