Why was New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton suspended?

Answer 1

He was playing players "bounty" bonuses. What I mean by that players were getting paid to intentionally try to hurt the opposing them and knock them out of the game. If they were successful they got $$ under the table apparently. A well deserved suspension.

Answer 2

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was suspended by the National Football League for the 2012 season because of the Saints' alleged practice of issuing bounties against opposing players. Payton was replaced by interim coach Joe Vitt, who guided the team until he himself began serving a six-game suspension at the beginning of the 2012 season. During his suspension, Vitt turned over the team's reins to offensive line coach Aaron Kromer until late October. Payton was reinstated as Saints head coach on January 22, 2013. He had not been expected to return until February 4, 2013, the day after Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.