Pro Career: Named the 14th head coach in Saints history on Jan. 18, 2006. Arrives in New Orleans following a three-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys, serving as the assistant head coach/passing game coordinator in 2005 after spending his first two seasons as assistant head coach/quarterbacks.

Considered one of the NFL's brightest offensive minds, he has led a resurgence in his unit's productivity at each career stop. Additional experience includes four years with the New York Giants (1999-2002), the last three seasons as offensive coordinator. Also previously worked for the Philadelphia Eagles (1997-98) as quarterbacks coach.

Background: Earned a degree in communications at Eastern Illinois, where he departed with a school-record 10,665 passing yards, then the third-highest total in NCAA Division I-AA history. A threetime All-American, Payton had brief playing stops with Chicago of the Arena Football League, the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League and the Chicago Bears in 1987. Inducted into the Eastern Illinois Hall of Fame in 2000, Payton entered the NFL after two coaching stints at San Diego State (1988-89, 1992-93) around a stop at Indiana State (1990-91). He also was quarterbacks coach/cooffensive coordinator at Miami (Ohio) from 1994-95.

Personal: Born Dec. 29, 1963 in San Mateo, Calif. and raised in Naperville, Ill, Payton and his wife, Beth, have a daughter, Meghan, and a son, Connor Thomas.