Reggie Bush Opens Up About Tense Relationship With Former Coach Sean Payton

The former Super Bowl-winning running back discusses his early struggles with Payton as head coach, but how things turned out best for them.

Oct. 8, 2006; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton talks with running back (25) Reggie Bush during the third quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints game at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, LA. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports Copyright Matt Stamey / Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Saints, Sean Payton, and Reggie Bush made history on Feb. 7, 2010, when the Saints hoisted the Lombardi trophy for the first and only time in franchise history. That moment culminated in euphoria for a franchise and region that endured so much in life and had been in the shadows of sports obscurity for decades. Getting to that point was not easy, with Bush highlighting the struggles he and Payton had early on as player and coach.

Bush recently sat down with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes on their All The Smoke Podcast to discuss his friction with Payton early on. "My rookie year, I hated Sean", Bush recalls. "I was Sean's first draft pick. I was more than happy to be there on the team, but Sean was a disciplinarian and he had a job to do."

Aug 3, 2006; Jackson, MS, USA; New Orleans Saints rookie running back (25) Reggie Bush talks to head coach Sean Payton during the Saints training camp at Milsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2006 Jason Parkhurst / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Reggie continued, expressing that Payton's coaching style wasn't received well by him because it didn't motivate him. "Sean liked to yell and I didn't like coaches who liked to yell. If you were a coach who liked to yell, it was already an issue for me. I always felt like it was a different way you can talk to guys."

Payton's no-nonsense approach stems from the tutelage he received from NFL great Head Coach Bill Parcells, who he spent his last three seasons as an assistant on Parcells' staff. His stern approach completely shifted the culture in New Orleans. Along with future Hall of Fame Quarterback Drew Brees, the duo became one of the most successful coach/quarterback combos in NFL history. New Orleans became a perennial contender year in and year out in the league.

December 2, 2011; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton greets running back Reggie Bush (25) before the start of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook - USA TODAY Sports / Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Bush eventually came around to Payton's harsh tactics and today the two are close friends. "As we started to progress through the next few years and we started to see the work pay off, we developed a very close bond. Now to this day, Sean is one of my good friends, but there was a time period I strongly disliked him (laughs)."

The former Heisman trophy-winning running back ended his tenure with the Saints after the 2010 season. New Orleans traded him to the Miami Dolphins for safety Jonathan Amaya and six-round pick swaps. Before retiring in 2016, he would also play for the Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, and Buffalo Bills. The New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame inducted Reggie Bush in 2019.

Payton continued coaching the Saints until retiring in 2021 after 16 seasons in New Orleans. His retirement was short-lived, as he became the Denver Broncos' Head Coach in 2023.