‘An outstanding leader’ Sean Payton officially named new Broncos coach.

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado: Sean Payton was formally introduced as the newest head coach of the Denver Broncos on Friday.

Although Payton signed a deal that, according to sources close to ESPN, was for five years, he has actually been working as an employee since Wednesday, conducting interviews for potential staff assistant coaches.

“An outstanding leader and Super Bowl champion with a brilliant offensive mind,” Payton was described by Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner in a statement released on Friday afternoon. “He shares our commitment to winning championships for Broncos Country and we’re excited to welcome him as our new head coach,” Penner said.

“Hiring a head coach with Sean’s credentials is rare in any sport,” Penner continued, “and we appreciate the Saints’ first-rate approach to this process.” We also valued the chance to interact with and gain knowledge from the other exceptional, highly trained coaches we spoke with. We set out to find the Denver Broncos a winning leader, and we believe we have found him in Coach Payton.

At a press conference on Monday morning, Payton—who led the New Orleans Saints for 15 seasons and won the NFL Coach of the Year award in 2006—will make his official introduction.

Payton stated, “I’m looking forward to the challenge,” in an interview that was posted on the team’s official Twitter account. “This place has incredible tradition. Though it will need a great deal of effort, our goal is to succeed. And that actually started today.”

Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired on December 26 after just 15 games in his rookie season, is replaced by Payton. Eight months before the Walton-Penner group’s acquisition of the Broncos received official NFL approval, Hackett was hired in January 2021.

In the days following Hackett’s firing, Penner had expressed his desire for the Broncos’ next coach to be “a strong leader for this organization that’s focused on winning.” Culture is the first step in that. It’s imparting discipline and a sense of accountability. With the Saints, Payton went 152-89, including a victory over the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLIV. Following an NFL investigation into a reward program the league claimed the Saints had in place for tackles on rival players, Payton was suspended by the league for the 2012 season and did not coach in the 2022 season while working as an analyst at Fox.