MIAMI — There were at least 10 guys “strongly recommended” to Jim Fassel back in 1999 when he was looking for a quarterbacks coach for the Giants. Fassel interviewed six or seven of them but, as he recalled, “none of them were the right fit for me.”
Finally, he called an out-of-work assistant who had spent the past two years with the Eagles. Fassel met Sean Payton for the first time and soon after offered him the job.
“I just liked his personality. I liked his knowledge of the game,” Fassel told The Post from his home in Paradise Valley, Ariz.
A career wasn’t born that day but it certainly was sparked. Payton enjoyed some great moments with the Giants, some not-so-great moments and eventually moved on, building a resume that is one victory away from adding an exclusive line — championship head coach.
Payton has brought the 43-year old Saints where they have never been before, all the way to Super Bowl XLIV, where on Sunday they face the Colts at Sun Life Stadium. Payton at 46 is no boy wonder, despite his youthful appearance — he wore faded jeans, a baggy Super Bowl hooded sweatshirt and a Super visor to his mid-week press conferences. He rejuvenated a moribund franchise and injected his expertise into a dynamic offense that led the NFL in scoring and is the main reason why the Saints have a chance at knocking off Peyton Manning and the Colts.
“I’m not surprised by it at all,” said Tiki Barber, the former Giants running back. “I remember when he was with us he was unbelievably confident in the things he was doing. When it was becoming apparent he wasn’t going to stay I remember he told me ‘I know the plays and the schemes I have work and if they don’t like it they can blanking fire me.’ Obviously he left the next season and has gone on to do great things.”
Opportunity sometimes knocks in unseen ways. Fassel’s mother passed away late in the 1999 season and after attending the funeral he realized he wasn’t prepared to run the offense. Before a rare regular-season game against the Jets, Fassel handed the play-calling duties over to Payton.
“I told him nobody will know,” Fassel said. “If it goes well, I’ll tell everyone you called the game. If it doesn’t nobody needs to know.”
It went well, as the Giants won 41-28 and a play-caller was born. Payton handled the assignment the remainder of that season and then was promoted to offensive coordinator. He called the shots in 2000 as the Giants surged to the NFC title and a loss in Super Bowl XXXV, gaining acclaim as a potential head coach-in-waiting.
The offense was floundering in 2002 when Payton’s own mother died during the bye week.
“We were at the funeral and three days later you’re putting a game plan together,” Payton said. “Sometimes the season and the league can rob you of something because of how consuming it is.”
The Giants came out of the bye and lost to the Eagles 17-3, and Fassel made the difficult decision to strip Payton of the play-calling job and take it over himself.
“A lot of people try to portray the last year we were together that we didn’t get along,” Fassel said. “He’s not the only person to have that happen to him. At the end of the day the guys who don’t fold their tent and feel sorry for themselves come back stronger.”
It proved to be the right move, as Fassel helped the Giants get into the playoffs. Payton was welcome to return, but knew it was time to go.
Bill Parcells wanted him for the Cowboys but Payton was under contract, and the Giants easily could have opted to block the move.
“After four years, for them to allow me an opportunity to interview within the division was something that I don’t take lightly,” Payton said. “They afforded me the chance to go with Bill to Dallas and that’s a little unusual.”
Three years with the Cowboys and the Saints and hurricane-ravaged New Orleans came calling.
“He’s knows the game, he’s a sound thinker,” Fassel said. “An excellent football coach.”