Sean Payton, born December 29, 1963, is an American professional football coach and former quarterback, currently serving as the head coach of the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL) since February 2023. He is best known for his long and successful tenure as head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2006 to 2021. During his 16 seasons with the Saints, Payton transformed the franchise, leading the team to its first Super Bowl victory in the 2009 season (Super Bowl XLIV). He also guided the Saints to three NFC Championship games (2006, 2009, and 2018), nine playoff appearances, and seven division titles, making him the most successful coach in Saints history[1][2][7]. Before his coaching career, Payton played quarterback at Naperville Central High School and Eastern Illinois University. He had a brief professional playing career that included time with the Chicago Bears in 1987 and the Leicester Panthers in England in 1988. Payton started his coaching career as an offensive assistant at San Diego State University and held various assistant coaching roles in both college and the NFL before becoming the Saints' head coach[1][2][4]. Noted for his offensive expertise, Payton's teams scored more points and gained more yards in his first 100 games than any other NFL coach in history. He won the AP NFL Coach of the Year Award in 2006 after leading the Saints to the playoffs following a 3–13 season the year before[1][2]. After leaving the Saints in 2021, Payton was hired by the Denver Broncos in 2023 and has completed two seasons with the team as of late 2025[1][3][7]. His career head coaching record includes 179 wins (170 regular season, 9 playoffs), placing him among the NFL’s winningest coaches[7].