The Oakland Raiders have finally concluded the NFL's coach-hunting season by agreeing to terms with Cowboys assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach Sean Payton, sources have told SportsLine.com. But no official offer had been made and no finances had been discussed.
Payton was scheduled to fly back to Dallas on Tuesday night, and if a financial agreement can be worked out, he would fly back to Oakland on Thursday for an announcement. One source said the sides were confident a deal could be struck, however financial parameters had not been discussed as of 6 p.m. ET.
The Dallas Morning News reported that Payton agreed to a four-year deal worth $1.3 million per season.
Payton, who turned 40 on Dec. 29, replaces Bill Callahan, who was fired after a 4-12 season. Callahan has since accepted the head coaching job at the University of Nebraska.
Payton made his reputation as the New York Giants' offensive coordinator during their Super Bowl season in 2000, but left the team after the 2002 season. He coached quarterbacks for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997 and '98.
Payton was one of four candidates to speak face-to-face with Raiders owner Al Davis, and was the only one to come back for a second interview. Dennis Green, who since has been hired by Arizona, Cowboys offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon and San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Knapp were the other candidates.
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