.jpg) Parcells as the head coach of Air Force in 1978 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1941-08-22)August 22, 1941 (age 84) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | River Dell (Oradell, New Jersey) |
| College | Wichita State (1960–1963) |
| NFL draft | 1964: 7th round, 89th overall pick |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Coaching | |
| |
Operations | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season | NFL: 172–130–1 (.569) NCAA: 3–8 (.273) |
| Postseason | 11–8 (.579) |
| Career | 183–138–1 (.570) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
| Executive profile atPro Football Reference | |
Duane Charles "Bill"Parcells (/pɑːrˈsɛlz/par-SELZ; born August 22, 1941)[1] is an American formerfootball coach who served as ahead coach in theNational Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons. He came to prominence as the head coach of theNew York Giants from 1983 to 1990, winning twoSuper Bowl titles. Parcells was later the head coach of theNew England Patriots from 1993 to 1996, theNew York Jets from 1997 to 2000, and theDallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006. Nicknamed "the Big Tuna", he is the only NFL coach to lead four different franchises to the playoffs and three to a conference championship game.
As the head coach of the Giants, Parcells took over a franchise that had qualified for the playoffs only once in the past decade and had only one winning record in their last 10 seasons. Within four years, he guided them to their firstSuper Bowl title and won a second championship inSuper Bowl XXV four years later. Parcells retired following the second Super Bowl, but came out of retirement in 1993 to become the head coach of the Patriots, another struggling franchise at the time. By his fourth season, New England reachedSuper Bowl XXXI, although the game ended in defeat. He left the Patriots after their Super Bowl loss and became the head coach andgeneral manager of the Jets, who went from a one-win season to appearing in theAFC Championship Game by his second year.
Parcells retired for a second time in 1999, but returned again in 2003 as the head coach of the Cowboys. The Cowboys made two playoff appearances under Parcells, although both ended in first-round defeats, leading to his third and final retirement in 2007. Following his final retirement from coaching, Parcells served as the vice president of football operations for theMiami Dolphins from 2008 to 2010. He was inducted to thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.[2]
Parcells was born inEnglewood, New Jersey on August 22, 1941. He grew up in the nearby town ofHasbrouck Heights.[3][4][5] His mother, Ida Parcells (born Naclerio), was a housewife while his father, Charles (Chubby) Parcells, played quarterback atGeorgetown University and worked for theFBI before becoming a lawyer forUniroyal Tires.
Prior to his sophomore year in high school, the Parcells family moved a few miles north to the town ofOradell, where he attendedRiver Dell Regional High School. While he was at River Dell, he was routinely mistaken for another boy named Bill. As he had always disliked his given name of Duane, he decided to adopt Bill as his nickname.[6][7] While coaching the New York Giants, Parcells and his family lived in upscale Upper Saddle River, a New Jersey town which was the home of Giants General Manager George Young as well.[8]
Parcells was an athlete as a youth. At 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) upon entering River Dell, he was large for his age, which enabled him to become a standout player on his high school's football, baseball, and basketball teams.[9] His football coach at River Dell wasTom Cahill, who would later become the head coach atArmy. His basketball coach at River Dell was Mickey Corcoran, whom Parcells considers to be "next to my father ... the most important influence in my life."[10] Corcoran would serve Parcells as an advisor and confidant throughout his coaching career.[11][12]
Upon graduating from high school, Parcells arrived atColgate University.[13] As a freshman, he was offered a contract by thePhiladelphia Phillies. His father disapproved of a career in sports and wanted him to study law, so the younger Parcells declined the offer. He soon transferred to the University of Wichita (now known asWichita State University), where he played linebacker and earned a physical education degree.[14] It was here that Parcells' famous nickname "Big Tuna" took hold. The name itself is a mis-statement of his actual nickname "Tuner". There were few radio stations in Wichita at the time, so players often trained without music. Parcells, showing the kind of preparation that would make him a successful coach later, frequently arrived early to training sessions, in order to set up a radio. Parcells would try several locations in the gym to get a signal. His diligence and attention to detail earned him the nickname "Tuner". This subsequently became "Tuna", likely due to the accents of the New York media who covered the Giants.[citation needed]
He was drafted in the seventh round (89th overall) by theDetroit Lions as an offensive lineman, but was released by the team before playing a single NFL game after he reportedly quit the team after a hot morning workout.[15][7]
At the conclusion of his playing days, Parcells took a close look at his future. He was considering attending law school or becoming a franchise owner forPizza Hut, where he had worked in college. Instead, he chose to pursue a career in football.[16] He began as an assistant coach atHastings (1964) before moving on toWichita State (1965),Army (1966–69),Florida State (1970–72),Vanderbilt (1973–74), andTexas Tech (1975–77). In 1978, he became the head coach at theAir Force Academy for one season.[7]
While serving as linebackers coach atArmy, Parcells was also a part-time assistant basketball coach forBob Knight during the 1966–67 season, which led to their longtime friendship.[17][18]
In 1979, Parcells accepted an offer to become thedefensive coordinator of theNew York Giants under head coachRay Perkins. However, when his family wanted to stay in Colorado, he resigned and took a job with a land development company inColorado.[19][20] While living in Colorado, Parcells became a season ticket holder with the Denver Broncos. Parcells called it the most miserable year of his life.[7]
Feeling dissatisfied with his life away from football, Parcells returned to the sport in 1980 as the linebackers coach of theNew England Patriots underRon Erhardt.[7] It was during this stint with the Patriots that Parcells adopted his "Big Tuna" nickname. Whenever he thought his players were trying to get away with something, Parcells would yell "Who do you think I am?Charlie the Tuna?," referencing aStarKist commercial of the era featuring a naive cartoon fish named, "Charlie the Tuna."[21]
The following season, Parcells was approached once again by Perkins to join the Giants' staff as an assistant coach, and Parcells accepted the offer. As defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, he was allowed to change the team's4–3 defense to a3–4 system.[7] When Perkins announced on December 15, 1982, that he was leaving the Giants at the end of the season to become head coach and athletic director at theUniversity of Alabama, the Giants announced that Parcells would succeed him as head coach.[7]
When Parcells took over in1983, the team had posted just one winning season in the previous ten years. In his first year, he made a controversial decision to benchPhil Simms in favor ofScott Brunner due to Brunner's success in leading the Giants to the 1981 post-season. Also, Simms had missed the entire 1982 season in addition to the latter part of 1981 due to injury. Brunner struggled and Parcells went back to Simms in week 6, but Simms broke his thumb and missed the rest of 1983. The result was a disastrous 3–12–1 season during which the Giants surreptitiously offered Parcells' job toUniversity of Miami head coachHoward Schnellenberger after a week 14 loss to theSt. Louis Cardinals; however, Schnellenberger declined, and Parcells remained as head coach.[22]
After this dismal first season, Parcells made a finally healthy Simms the starter again for 1984 and replaced half the roster. The team's record improved to 9–7 and 10–6 over the next two years, and earned them their first back-to-back playoff appearances since 1961–1963. In 1986, he led the Giants to the first of twoSuper Bowls. In the1986 season, the Giants compiled a franchise-best 14–2 record and the first of three division titles. Parcells, whose stifling 3–4 defense (known as the Big Blue Wrecking Crew) led byLawrence Taylor,Carl Banks,Harry Carson, andLeonard Marshall, and an offense under the direction of Phil Simms, knocked off theSan Francisco 49ers 49–3, and theWashington Redskins 17–0, in the playoffs before routing theDenver Broncos 39–20 inSuper Bowl XXI. Parcells is credited as the first coach to be doused with Gatorade at the end of a Super Bowl, which led to a Super Bowl tradition. While there are some claims that Chicago Bears coachMike Ditka had been doused a year earlier,[23]NFL Films presidentSteve Sabol has stated that he can find no evidence to support it in any footage he has reviewed and that he believes the tradition started with Parcells andJim Burt.[24]
Following the Super Bowl win, Parcells was courted by theAtlanta Falcons to become the head coach andgeneral manager of the franchise. However, NFL CommissionerPete Rozelle would not allow Parcells to break his contract with the Giants and he stayed in New York.[25]
Parcells led the Giants to a second Super Bowl in 1990. The Giants began the1990 season 10–0, but lost Phil Simms to injury late in the season andfinished 13–3. Playing with a back-up quarterback inJeff Hostetler and a 33-year-old veteran running back inOttis Anderson, the Giants convincingly defeated theChicago Bears in the divisional playoff, 31–3. They followed that up with a dramatic, come-from-behind fashion overSan Francisco, 15–13, in theNFC Championship game on a last-second 42-yard field goal byMatt Bahr, set up by aRoger Craig fumble caused by nose tackleErik Howard.Super Bowl XXV proved equally exciting as the Giants used tough defense and a ball-control and power-runningErhardt – Perkins style offense to stop theBuffalo Bills, 20–19, whose own last-second 47-yard field goal attempt byScott Norwood missed wide right. Parcells retired from football after Super Bowl XXV due to health problems.[26]
During his coaching tenure, the Giants secured three division titles (1986, 1989, 1990), had only two losing seasons (the Giants went 6–9 during thestrike year of 1987), and tallied an 8–3 playoff record. Parcells, along with former Giants head coachTom Coughlin, both made theNFL playoffs five times as Giants head coach, and the twoSuper Bowl titles they each won with the Giants occurred in their fourth and eighth seasons with the franchise, respectively.[27]
Following retirement, Parcells spent time as a football analyst forNBC Sports from 1991 to 1992, working as a commentator. He also co-hosted a local sports show in New York withMike Francesa calledAround the NFL.
In 1992, Parcells made a handshake agreement to become head coach of theTampa Bay Buccaneers. At the last minute, Parcells opted not to take the job. Parcells did not feel the situation was right for him at that time. Buccaneers ownerHugh Culverhouse said, "I feel like I've been jilted at the altar."[28]
Parcells was also offered by his friendRon Wolf the opportunity to become the new head coach of theGreen Bay Packers in 1992, but Parcells declined, saying that he needed open heart surgery.[29] The job instead went toMike Holmgren, who would later coach against Parcells inSuper Bowl XXXI.
After a two-yearhiatus, Parcells returned to the NFL in 1993 as the head coach for the strugglingNew England Patriots, who were fresh off of a 2–14 record in1992.[30] Within two years, he coached the team to a 10–6 record in1994 and its firstplayoff game in eight years. In1996, he guided the Patriots to their first division title in 11 years, and only the second and third home playoff games in franchise history. The Patriots went all the way toSuper Bowl XXXI, but lost to theGreen Bay Packers, 35–21, in New Orleans.
Parcells left the Patriots after disagreements with ownerRobert Kraft, who had bought the team in early 1994, after Parcells' first year as head coach. Parcells had effectively been the team'sgeneral manager since arriving in New England, but felt Kraft would not allow him enough input in player personnel decisions. Upon his departure, Parcells famously stated: "They want you to cook the dinner; at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries. Okay?" This was mainly in reference to an incident in the Patriots' war room during the1996 draft. Parcells wanted to draft defensive endTony Brackens with their first-round choice, but was vetoed by Kraft. They ultimately selectedOhio State wide receiverTerry Glenn.[31]
Although Parcells had decided to leave New England, his contract did not allow him to coach anywhere else.
The Giants seriously considered offering him his old job as head coach of their organization, but in a dramatic behind-the-scenes event ended up offering the job toJim Fassel instead.[32]
TheNew York Jets sought Parcells as head coach and general manager after a 4–28 record underRich Kotite. To circumvent Parcells' contractual obligations, the Jets hiredBill Belichick (then the No. 1 assistant to Parcells) as the Jets coach, and then hired Parcells in an "advisory" role. New England threatened legal action against Parcells and the Jets, butNFL CommissionerPaul Tagliabue brokered a deal between the two sides, with New England releasing Parcells from his contract and the Jets giving New England a third- and fourth-round pick that year, a second-round pick the next year and a first-round draft choice the year after that. Jets ownerLeon Hess gave Parcells complete control over football operations, the main sticking point in his dispute with Kraft.
Parcells again orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in his first year with the Jets. In hisfirst season with the Jets, the team barely missed the playoffs with a record of 9–7 (the Jets were 1–15 the year before Parcells arrived, and had won a total of 10 games in the previous three seasons combined). In1998, the Jets went to the playoffs with a current franchise-best 12–4 record, which was good enough for second place in the conference[33][34] and earned the Jets their third home playoff game since moving to New Jersey in1984 (their first home playoff game was against theNew England Patriots following the1985 season), but they lost to theeventual Super Bowl XXXIII championDenver Broncos in theAFC Championship Game, in which New York had led 10–0 in the third quarter before Denver scored 23 unanswered points.[35] It was the only time Parcells lost a conference championship game.
In1999, expectations were high for the Jets to go to theSuper Bowl. However, quarterbackVinny Testaverde ruptured his Achilles tendon in the Jets' home opener against theNew England Patriots and the season went downhill from there.[36] After starting the season 1–6, the Jets won three straight and faced theIndianapolis Colts. Parcells emphasized the importance of not obtaining a "7th loss" but they did lose to the Colts and then to theNew York Giants the following week.[37][38] At 4–8, the Jets were in danger of finishing below .500. The Jets would finish 8–8, but out of the playoffs. In 1999, Parcells retired from football for the second time, vowing that he would not coach again.[39] He picked his assistantBill Belichick to be head coach, which ended up seeing him resign in favor ofAl Groh. Parcells remained with the Jets one more year as general manager until he announced his resignation on January 9, 2001.[40] To date, he is the only Jets coach to leave the team with a winning record after coaching at least two seasons.
Following three straight 5–11 seasons,Dallas Cowboys ownerJerry Jones lured Parcells out of retirement and made him the head coach in 2003.[41]
"You knew real quick in my rookie year with Coach Parcells that nothing was going to be given to you, and you had to respect that tradition of what the Cowboys are all about. I thought it (earning the star) was great because nothing is given to you, you have to earn it. That should be especially true for the Cowboys because it's such a great franchise."
Always known for deploying psychological tactics and strategies to get the most from his players, Parcells mandated upon his arrival in 2003 that to have the Cowboys star placed on the helmet was a privilege reserved for players that had made the team, not a right, and informed all rookies that regardless of their draft position, it was incumbent upon them to "earn the star."[43]Jones enthusiastically embraced the idea, and supported Parcells' decision to have Cowboys equipment managers remove all of the star logos from rookie helmets. Since then, all drafted and UFA (undrafted free agent) rookies that report to the Cowboys must officially make the roster before having the star logo permanently placed on their helmet.[43]
The practice of "earning the star" has become a permanent fixture of Cowboys tradition, with all of Parcells' successors adopting the practice.[43] As social media emerged, #EarnTheStar and #EarningTheStar became popularTwitterhashtags for Cowboys fans and players.[44]
In his first season with the Cowboys in2003, he led them to the playoffs with a 10–6 record (losing to the eventual NFC championCarolina Panthers in the Wild Card round),[45] making him the first head coach in NFL history to guide four teams to the playoffs.
The2004 season was one of turmoil. Starting quarterbackQuincy Carter was terminated for alleged drug use in favor of 40-year-old veteranVinny Testaverde,[46] who had been brought to the Cowboys from the New York Jets by his former coach in the off-season. While a favorite of Coach Parcells, Testaverde proved ineffective as a starter. The Cowboys started strong, with victories against theCleveland Browns andWashington Redskins, but injuries, older personnel, spotty play-calling, and persistent penalties hobbled the Cowboys, and they quickly fell off to a 3–5 record by midseason, finishing the season 6–10.
The Cowboys improved their defense before the 2005 season with the additions of first-round draft picksDeMarcus Ware andMarcus Spears. Parcells drafted these players in hopes of jumpstarting the team's transition from the traditional4–3 defense to a3–4 defense, which Parcells ran in all of his previous stops. Jerry Jones also added a number of high-priced older veteran players, acquiring nose tackleJason Ferguson and cornerbackAnthony Henry via free agency, and linebackerScott Fujita via theKansas City Chiefs. On offense, the Cowboys felt the need to upgrade their passing game to complement their top 2004 draft pick, running backJulius Jones, and acquired quarterbackDrew Bledsoe via free agency. During his tenure, Parcells made a point of signing players who had played for him in the past, including Bledsoe,Terry Glenn (with the Patriots), Testaverde, cornerbackAaron Glenn, wide receiverKeyshawn Johnson, and fullbackRichie Anderson with the Jets. In 2005, the Cowboys went 9–7, missing the playoffs by one game.
In 2006, the Cowboys signed controversial formerPhiladelphia Eagleswide receiverTerrell Owens.[47]Keyshawn Johnson was released and signed with theCarolina Panthers.[48][49] Owens, whom Parcells never referred to by name, but rather as "The Player", was fairly successful with the team. In week 7 of the 2006 season, Parcells decided to replace veteran quarterbackDrew Bledsoe with fourth-year quarterbackTony Romo. The Cowboys were 6–4 with Romo as the starter. They finished the season with a 9–7 overall record but failed to win theNFC East Division after a 23–7 loss to thePhiladelphia Eagles on Christmas Day in week 16,[50] followed by a loss to the last-place team in theNFC North, theDetroit Lions in week 17.[51] They were able to clinch a playoff berth as the 5th seed in the NFC, eventually losing 21–20 against the Seahawks in Seattle on January 6, on a botched hold byTony Romo during a field goal attempt.[52]
Parcells would finish his Dallas stint with a 34–30 record and no playoff wins. Parcells' greatest accomplishment as Cowboys head coach was the development of quarterback Tony Romo. He signed Romo in 2003 and helped him develop into a Pro Bowl quarterback by 2006.
Parcells would have entered the final year of his contract with the Cowboys in 2007, and had been facing questions all year as to whether he would return to the Cowboys to coach his final season. With his 0–2 playoff record over four years as coach of Dallas, many had begun to wonder if the game had simply "passed him by." Immediately following the Cowboys' loss to theSeattle Seahawks, Parcells said that he was unsure if he would return in 2007, and the rumors about Parcells' future escalated.
On January 9, theNewark Star Ledger reported through anonymous sources that Parcells had contacted theNew York Giants about their available general manager position, but the Giants were not interested in Parcells' services.[53] Parcells, the next day, quickly refuted any interest in the position, stating, "There is absolutely nothing to it. Whoever said it is a liar."[54]
On January 22, 2007, he announced his retirement as head coach of the Cowboys after 4 years, apparently ending his coaching career.[55]
Evidently, there are still questions as to his specific reasons for leaving the game. There were even reports that Parcells had been holding out for more money, and that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones simply did not think Parcells' performance was worth the money he was demanding for the upcoming season.[56]
After retiring from coaching, Parcells became a studio analyst forESPN. This was his fourth stint with ESPN, having worked there before accepting the job in Dallas, where he coached both the Dallas Cowboys and a little league team for charity. It was rumored that ESPN offered him a position onMonday Night Football, but Parcells declined the opportunity. (It is also worth noting that ESPN still held a contract with Parcells as a broadcaster even when he coached the Cowboys.)
On December 19, 2007, theMiami Herald reported that Parcells had agreed to become the new executive vice president of football operations of theMiami Dolphins.[57] ESPN reported the following day that he signed a four-year contract.[58] Just a day prior, reports linking Parcells to theAtlanta Falcons' position of vice president of football operations were leaked.[59] However, the following day the Falcons formally announced that Parcells had turned down the offer because of discussions with Miami.[60]
In the first season as executive vice president of football operations, Parcells fired head coachCam Cameron, general managerRandy Mueller, along with a few assistant coaches, after a 1–15 finish in the2007 season. With vacancies at the general manager and head coaching spots, he brought inJeff Ireland to be the general manager and signedTony Sparano as head coach.
The new front office under Parcells then signed over 20 little-known players in the free-agent market.
In the 2008 draft, they drafted offensive tackleJake Long with the No. 1 overall pick, along withPhillip Merling,Kendall Langford,Chad Henne,Lex Hilliard, andDonald Thomas. They also signed undrafted free agentsDan Carpenter andDavone Bess.
They also released fan favoriteZach Thomas, who would end up signing with the Dallas Cowboys, and traded star defensive endJason Taylor to the Washington Redskins for a second-round pick in the 2009 draft.
The Dolphins then went on to sign quarterbackChad Pennington (drafted by Parcells in his Jets days), who was cut by the Jets to make room forBrett Favre.[61]
The Dolphins finished the 2008 season 11–5 and becameAFC East champions when Pennington and the Dolphins defeated Favre and the Jets in the final game of the season.[62] They finished with a 10-game improvement from the previous season, making the Dolphins one of two teams in NFL history to accomplish a 10-game turnaround, the other being the 1999 Indianapolis Colts. It was also the first time since 2001 that the Dolphins made the playoffs. However, they were routed in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens, 27–9.
Parcells left the Dolphins in 2010.[63]
On February 12, 2014, Parcells was reportedly interviewed by theCleveland Browns in an executive capacity, but the two sides could not come to a deal.[64] However, on March 6, 2014,Pro Football Hall of Fame executiveGil Brandt reported Parcells had met with Browns ownerJimmy Haslam as a courtesy consultant. Brandt made another tweet stating that Parcells met withTeddy Bridgewater for4+1⁄2 hours, leading many to speculate his role with the Browns was as a draft consultant for the front office on the incoming quarterback class leading into the2014 NFL draft. But when the media contacted the Browns directly, the team denied these rumors.[65]
In an interview withThe Plain Dealer, Jimmy Haslam squashed any rumor that Parcells would be joining the front office, saying, "...Bill's not going to come work for us, okay? I know that's what everyone's angling at, but there's other people that we talk to too who are knowledgeable in football that will share that too. Somehow the Parcells information just happened to hit the radar screen." Haslam also mentioned that his and Parcells's advisory relationship began in 2013 when Parcells gave some suggestions for their head coaching search.[66]
Since 2014, Parcells has on occasion given advice to the Browns, such as in 2017 when Parcells gave his endorsement to hiringJohn Dorsey as their new general manager,[67] and in 2018 when he was given the same role as in 2014 by consulting the Browns front office in searching for their next franchise quarterback in the2018 NFL draft.[68]
Parcells was married to Judith Goss from 1962 until their divorce in 2002.[69] The couple, who married when both were still undergraduates at Wichita State, had three daughters, Suzy, Dallas, and Jill.[70] Parcells's son-in-law through his daughter Dallas is football executiveScott Pioli, who won three Super Bowls as an executive with theNew England Patriots.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force Falcons(NCAA Division I-A independent)(1978) | |||||||||
| 1978 | Air Force | 3–8 | |||||||
| Air Force: | 3–8 | ||||||||
| Total: | 3–8 | ||||||||
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| NYG | 1983 | 3 | 12 | 1 | .219 | 5th in NFC East | – | – | – | – |
| NYG | 1984 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .562 | 2nd in NFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toSan Francisco 49ers inNFC Divisional Game |
| NYG | 1985 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toChicago Bears inNFC Divisional Game |
| NYG | 1986 | 14 | 2 | 0 | .875 | 1st in NFC East | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XXI Champions |
| NYG | 1987 | 6 | 9 | 0 | .400 | 5th in NFC East | – | – | – | – |
| NYG | 1988 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC East | – | – | – | – |
| NYG | 1989 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in NFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toLos Angeles Rams inNFC Divisional Game |
| NYG | 1990 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .812 | 1st in NFC East | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XXV Champions |
| NYG Total | 77 | 49 | 1 | .611 | 8 | 3 | .727 | |||
| NE | 1993 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .312 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| NE | 1994 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in AFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toCleveland Browns inAFC Wild Card game |
| NE | 1995 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| NE | 1996 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .687 | 1st in AFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toGreen Bay Packers inSuper Bowl XXXI |
| NE Total | 32 | 32 | 0 | .500 | 2 | 2 | .500 | |||
| NYJ | 1997 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .562 | 3rd in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| NYJ | 1998 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toDenver Broncos inAFC Championship Game |
| NYJ | 1999 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| NYJ Total | 29 | 19 | 0 | .604 | 1 | 1 | .500 | |||
| DAL | 2003 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toCarolina Panthers inNFC Wild Card Game |
| DAL | 2004 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 3rd in NFC East | – | – | – | – |
| DAL | 2005 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .562 | 3rd in NFC East | – | – | – | – |
| DAL | 2006 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .562 | 2nd in NFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toSeattle Seahawks inNFC Wild Card Game |
| DAL Total | 34 | 30 | 0 | .531 | 0 | 2 | .000 | |||
| Total[71] | 172 | 130 | 1 | .569 | 11 | 8 | .578 | |||
Parcells has worked under eight head coaches:
Seventeen of Parcells' coaching assistants became head coaches in the NFL or NCAA:
Three of Parcells' former players became a head coach in the NFL or NCAA:
Ten of Parcells' coaches/executives became general managers in the NFL:
Bill is his nickname. His real name is Duane Charles Parcells, but once he became a teenager only his mother called him Duane. He was raised in Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., and everyone knew him as Duane except his fourth-grade teacher. She used to say, 'Duane Parcells, is she here?'
I never really was aspiring [to NFL coaching] when I was a young coach. It was a decision between going into coaching, going to law school , which I had interest in.And going to work for a franchise that I had worked for in college. The name of the franchise was Pizza Hut. …. We were running stores for them. … What they wanted me to be was a franchisee and expand the franchise. When they were talking to me there were only about six or eight of them.
Media related toBill Parcells at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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