With the hiring of Sean Payton as the new head coach of the Saints, the air of uncertainty that envelops this beleaguered franchise has begun to dissipate.

The Saints have a bright young coach in place. They’re back at their state-of-the-art training facility in suburban New Orleans. And they have a permanent home for 2006. The Saints are expected to play all eight of their regular-season home games at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. And their two preseason home games will be played somewhere in Louisiana, likely at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge.

Payton spent last season as the Cowboys’ assistant head coach/passing-game coordinator and was the Cowboys’ assistant head coach/QB coach in 2003-04. He was chosen over big-name ex-head coaches Mike Martz and Mike Sherman. Payton also beat out another Bill Parcells disciple, Browns offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon, who played and coached under Parcells.

Payton’s biggest attribute is his success working with quarterbacks. The Saints desperately need to iron out their QB situation. We hear it’s likely, but not certain, the Saints will part ways with veteran QB Aaron Brooks, either through a trade or by releasing him, and use the No. 2 overall draft pick to select a quarterback. Our sources tell us that USC’s Matt Leinart is at the top of their list.

Yet there was more to the Payton hiring than just his QB credentials, according to Saints GM Mickey Loomis: “As John Fox told me personally, Sean Payton has the ‘it’ factor. And I believe Coach Fox,� Loomis said.

He should.

Fox, who also had been a Parcells assistant, has quickly turned the Panthers into a consistent winner. And most importantly, Carolina is as stable a franchise as there is in the NFL. That’s something the Saints desperately need.

The first major hurdle was passed when the Saints agreed on a one-year deal last month to return their operations to New Orleans. Repairs to the Louisiana Superdome, which was damaged during Hurricane Katrina and the relief efforts after it, are scheduled to be completed by Sept. 1, in time for the Saints’ home opener. The stadium will feature new scoreboards and a new sound system and playing turf. A few other upgrades to areas such as the luxury suites likely won’t be completed until after next season. These improvements should have a positive impact on the Superdome’s ability to lure big games back to New Orleans. The Sugar Bowl has already announced that it plans to return to New Orleans next year, and the awarding of another Super Bowl date may not be far off.

Nevertheless, while a new head coach and a return home should be reasons to celebrate, there is a segment of the NFL world that remains skeptical.

When NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and team owner Tom Benson announced that the Saints were marching back to The Big Easy, that was only after Benson had signed a one-year deal to keep the Saints in New Orleans. No long-term deal was in place at the time of this writing, and no long-term deal was planned any time soon. And the Saints still have an exit clause in their contract with the Superdome that was pushed back to March 2007.

The Saints and the NFL are playing a wait-and-see game. Benson wants to make sure enough fans return to the Superdome so he can pay his bills, and the NFL also wants to see that New Orleans is still dedicated to the NFL.

Suffice it to say, 2006 will be by far the most important year in this franchise’s history.