Sean Payton reflects on 'friend, confidant' Mike Shanahan after passing Broncos legend on all-time wins list

Payton passed his mentor from Eastern Illinois with his 171st win in Week 1

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton reached a milestone on Sunday that ties together two eras of the franchise's history. The Broncos' 20-12 victory against the Tennessee Titans marked Payton's 171st regular-season win, moving him past former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and former Giants coach Tom Coughlin for 18th on the NFL's all-time coaching wins list. Payton shares the spot with Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, who also notched his 171st win in his return to the sidelines in Week 1. 

Most of Payton's wins were earned over 15 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, with whom he captured Super Bowl XLIV in 2009, but his arrival in Denver quickly changed the team's trajectory. After inheriting a Broncos team that went 5-12 in 2023, Payton helped the franchise snap an eight-year playoff drought in just his second season.

Passing Shanahan, who led the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl titles in 1997 and 1998, carries a special personal meaning for Payton. Both coaches share roots at Eastern Illinois, where Shanahan played quarterback and Payton also starred at the position. Their shared Eastern Illinois roots have made Shanahan both a mentor and a close friend to Payton.

"There are certain times when you feel age," Payton said Monday, per KUSA in Denver. "I grew up on Mike Shanahan, going to school at Eastern Illinois. At that time he was like 1A, the one guy that made it out and made it into the NFL. ... He's been a tremendous close friend and I would say confidant."

For Payton, surpassing Shanahan on the coaching wins list is not simply a numbers game. He sees it as a moment to reflect on a career shaped by longevity, mentorship and the players he has coached along the way.

"I don't know where that master list is [for coaching wins] and it's not something you look at," Payton continued. "But it does put in perspective how fortunate, how long the career has been and how many good players I've been able to coach. Look, let's hope I have a chance to win a second Super Bowl like Mike Shanahan."

Payton also expressed admiration for Shanahan's enduring legacy.

"This is his year, the next year, but very soon he's going into the Hall of Fame," Payton said. "And probably should have been in two, three years back. But that's coming real quick. So something like that I think you reflect on it more than you focus on it."