Ranking The Greatest NFL Head Coaches from All 32 Teams

#20:  Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints)

One can only imagine the herculean effort it took by Sean Payton to raise the New Orleans Saints from the depth they were at when he took over in 2006.  This was a franchise built on a tradition of losing.  They didn’t make the playoffs the first two decades of their existence and hadn’t reached even a conference title game by the time he arrived.  Worse still, the beloved city they represented had been decimated by Hurricane Katrina, leaving some to wonder if the Saints might have to leave rather than face the prospect of playing for a defeated town.

Payton came in like a whirlwind, helped to sign quarterback Drew Brees and completely changed the culture almost overnight.  His first year the Saints reached the NFC championship and from there began their rise to one of the best teams in football, culminating in the franchises’ first Super Bowl title in 2009.  That would’ve placed Payton higher on the list, but his luster was dulled somewhat by the unfortunate Bountygate scandal that got him suspended for a year.  He’s only made the playoffs once since then.  He has work to do in order to resume he ascent up the rankings.

Next: #19