Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells ( ; born August 22, 1941)
is an American former
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
coach who served as a
head coach
A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for 19 seasons. He came to prominence as the head coach of the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
from 1983 to 1990, where he won two
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
titles. Parcells was later the head coach of the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
from 1993 to 1996, the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
from 1997 to 2000, and the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
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 first
Super Bowl title and won a second championship in
Super 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 reached
Super Bowl XXXI, although the game ended in defeat. He left the Patriots after their Super Bowl loss and became the head coach and
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
of the Jets, who went from a one-win season to appearing in the
AFC 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 the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
from 2008 to 2010. He was inducted to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
in 2013.
Early life
Parcells was born in
Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of Engle ...
on August 22, 1941. He grew up in the nearby town of
Hasbrouck Heights. His mother, Ida Parcells (born Naclerio), was a housewife while his father, Charles (Chubby) Parcells, played quarterback at
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...
and worked for the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...
before becoming a lawyer for
Uniroyal Tires.
Prior to his sophomore year in high school, the Parcells family moved a few miles north to the town of
Oradell, where he attended
River 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.
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.
Parcells was an athlete as a youth. At 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. His football coach at River Dell was
Tom Cahill, who would later become the head coach at
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
. 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." Corcoran would serve Parcells as an advisor and confidant throughout his coaching career.
Playing career
Upon graduating from high school, Parcells arrived at
Colgate University
Colgate University is a Private university, private college in Hamilton, New York, United States. The Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York ...
. As a freshman, he was offered a contract by the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
. 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 as
Wichita State University
Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...
), where he played linebacker and earned a physical education degree. 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.
He was drafted in the seventh round (89th overall) by the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
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.
College coaching career
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 for
Pizza Hut, where he had worked in college. Instead, he chose to pursue a career in football. He began as an assistant coach at
Hastings
Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
(1964) before moving on to
Wichita State
Wichita State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 ...
(1965),
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
(1966–69),
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
(1970–72),
Vanderbilt (1973–74), and
Texas Tech (1975–77). In 1978, he became the head coach at the
Air Force Academy
An air force academy or air academy is a national institution that provides initial officer training, possibly including undergraduate level education, to air force officer cadets who are preparing to be commissioned officers in a national air forc ...
for one season.
While serving as linebackers coach at
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
, Parcells was also a part-time assistant basketball coach for
Bob Knight
Robert Montgomery Knight (October 25, 1940 – November 1, 2023) was an American men's college basketball coach (basketball), coach. Nicknamed "the General", he won 902 NCAA Division I men's basketball games, a record at the time of his retire ...
during the 1966–67 season, which led to their longtime friendship.
Professional coaching career
New York Giants (1979)
In 1979, Parcells accepted an offer to become the
defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator (DC) is a coach responsible for a gridiron football team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's coaching structure, wit ...
of the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
under head coach
Ray Perkins. However, when his family wanted to stay in Colorado, he resigned and took a job with a land development company in
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
. While living in Colorado, Parcells became a season ticket holder with the Denver Broncos. Parcells called it the most miserable year of his life.
New England Patriots (1980)
Feeling dissatisfied with his life away from football, Parcells returned to the sport in 1980 as the linebackers coach of the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
under
Ron Erhardt.
New York Giants (1981–1990)
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's
4–3 defense to a
3–4 system.
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 the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, the Capstone, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of ...
, the Giants announced that Parcells would succeed him as head coach.
When Parcells took over in
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
, the team had posted just one winning season in the previous ten years. In his first year, he made a controversial decision to bench
Phil Simms in favor of
Scott 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. 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 to
University of Miami
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
head coach
Howard Schnellenberger after a week 14 loss to the
St. Louis Cardinals; however, Schnellenberger declined, and Parcells remained as head coach.
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 two
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
s. In the
1986 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 by
Lawrence Taylor,
Carl Banks,
Harry Carson, and
Leonard Marshall, and an offense under the direction of Phil Simms, knocked off the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
49–3, and the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
17–0, in the playoffs before routing the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
39–20 in
Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for ...
. 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 coach
Mike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka ( ; born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former professional American football, football player, coach, and television commentator. During his playing career, he was UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year, UPI NFL R ...
had been doused a year earlier,
NFL Films president
Steve 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 and
Jim Burt.
Following the Super Bowl win, Parcells was courted by the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
to become the head coach and
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
of the franchise. However, NFL Commissioner
Pete Rozelle
Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (; March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was an American professional football executive. Rozelle served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) for nearly thirty years, from January 1960 until his retire ...
would not allow Parcells to break his contract with the Giants and he stayed in New York.
Parcells led the Giants to a second Super Bowl in 1990. The Giants began the
1990 season 10–0, but lost Phil Simms to injury late in the season and
finished 13–3. Playing with a back-up quarterback in
Jeff Hostetler and a 33-year-old veteran running back in
Ottis Anderson, the Giants convincingly defeated the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
in the divisional playoff, 31–3. They followed that up with a dramatic, come-from-behind fashion over
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, 15–13, in the
NFC Championship game
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
on a last-second 42-yard field goal by
Matt Bahr
Matthew David Bahr (born July 6, 1956) is an American former professional American football, football placekicker in the National Football League (NFL), and professional soccer player in the North American Soccer League (1968–84), North Americ ...
, set up by a
Roger Craig fumble caused by nose tackle
Erik Howard
Erik Matthew Howard (born November 12, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played nine seasons with the New York Giants, and was a member o ...
.
Super Bowl XXV proved equally exciting as the Giants used tough defense and a ball-control and power-running
Erhardt – Perkins style offense to stop the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
, 20–19, whose own last-second 47-yard field goal attempt by
Scott Norwood missed wide right. Parcells retired from football after Super Bowl XXV due to health problems.
During his coaching tenure, the Giants secured three division titles (1986, 1989, 1990), had only two losing seasons (the Giants went 6–9 during the
strike year of 1987), and tallied an 8–3 playoff record. Parcells, along with former Giants head coach
Tom Coughlin, both made the
NFL playoffs
The National Football League (NFL) playoffs is the annual single-elimination tournament held to determine the National Football League, league champion. The four-round tournament is held after the league's regular season. Since the 2020 NFL seaso ...
five times as Giants head coach, and the two
Super Bowl titles they each won with the Giants occurred in their fourth and eighth seasons with the franchise, respectively.
First retirement
Following retirement, Parcells spent time as a football analyst for
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is an American programming division for NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, that is responsible for sports broadcasts on their broadcast network NBC, the Cable television, cable channels NBC owns, and on Peacock (streaming service) ...
from 1991 to 1992, working as a commentator. He also co-hosted a local sports show in New York with
Mike Francesa called ''Around the NFL''.
In 1992, Parcells made a handshake agreement to become head coach of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
. 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 owner
Hugh Culverhouse
Hugh Franklin Culverhouse Sr. (February 20, 1919 – August 25, 1994) was an American businessman, attorney, and sports franchise owner. Culverhouse is best known for having been the longtime owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the Nationa ...
said, "I feel like I've been jilted at the altar."
Parcells was also offered by his friend
Ron Wolf the opportunity to become the new head coach of the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
in 1992, but Parcells declined, saying that he needed open heart surgery. The job instead went to
Mike Holmgren
Michael George Holmgren (born June 15, 1948) is an American former American football, football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career as a quarterbacks' coach and later as an offensive coordinator wit ...
, who would later coach against Parcells in
Super Bowl XXXI.
New England Patriots (1993–1996)
After a two-year
hiatus, Parcells returned to the NFL in 1993 as the head coach for the struggling
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, who were fresh off of a 2–14 record in
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
. Within two years, he coached the team to a 10–6 record in
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
and its first
playoff game in eight years. In
1996
1996 was designated as:
* International Year for the Eradication of Poverty
Events January
* January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
, 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 to
Super Bowl XXXI, but lost to the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, 35–21, in New Orleans.
Parcells left the Patriots after disagreements with owner
Robert Kraft
Robert Kenneth Kraft (born June 5, 1941) is an American billionaire businessman. He is the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainmen ...
, who had bought the team in early 1994, after Parcells' first year as head coach. Parcells had effectively been the team's
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
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 the
1996 draft. Parcells wanted to draft defensive end
Tony Brackens with their first-round choice, but was vetoed by Kraft. They ultimately selected
Ohio State wide receiver
Terry Glenn.
New York Jets (1997–1999)
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 to
Jim Fassel instead.
The
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
sought Parcells as head coach and general manager after a 4–28 record under
Rich Kotite. To circumvent Parcells' contractual obligations, the Jets hired
Bill 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, but
NFL Commissioner
The commissioner of the National Football League is the chief executive officer of the National Football League (NFL). The position was created in 1941. The current commissioner is Roger Goodell, who assumed office on September 1, 2006.
Until 1 ...
Paul 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 owner
Leon Hess gave Parcells complete control over football operations, the main sticking point in his dispute with Kraft.
1997–98
Parcells again orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in his first year with the Jets. In his
first 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). In
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, the Jets went to the playoffs with a current franchise-best 12–4 record, which was good enough for second place in the conference and earned the Jets their third home playoff game since moving to New Jersey in
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
(their first home playoff game was against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
following the
1985 season), but they lost to the
eventual Super Bowl XXXIII champion Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
in the
AFC Championship game, in which New York had led 10–0 in the third quarter before Denver scored 23 unanswered points. It was the only time Parcells lost a conference championship game.
1999
In
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
, expectations were high for the Jets to go to the
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
. However, quarterback
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde Sr. (; born November 13, 1963) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning con ...
ruptured his Achilles tendon in the Jets' home opener against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
and the season went downhill from there. After starting the season 1–6, the Jets won three straight and faced the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
. Parcells emphasized the importance of not obtaining a "7th loss" but they did lose to the Colts and then to the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
the following week. 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. He picked his assistant
Bill Belichick to be head coach, which ended up seeing him resign in favor of
Al Groh. Parcells remained with the Jets one more year as general manager until he announced his resignation on January 9, 2001. To date, he is the only Jets coach to leave the team with a winning record after coaching at least two seasons.
Dallas Cowboys (2003–2006)
Following three straight 5–11 seasons,
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
owner
Jerry Jones
Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. (born October 13, 1942) is an American billionaire businessman who is the owner, president, and General manager (American football), general manager of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He bought t ...
lured Parcells out of retirement and made him the head coach in 2003.
Earn the Star
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."
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.
The practice of "earning the star" has become a permanent fixture of Cowboys tradition, with all of Parcells' successors adopting the practice.
As social media emerged, #EarnTheStar and #EarningTheStar became popular
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
hashtags
A hashtag is a Tag (metadata), metadata tag operator that is prefaced by the Number sign, hash symbol, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo sharing, photo-sharing services–especially Twitter and Tumblr–as a fo ...
for Cowboys fans and players.
2003
In his first season with the Cowboys in
2003
2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater.
In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War.
Demographic ...
, he led them to the playoffs with a 10–6 record (losing to the eventual NFC champion
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
in the Wild Card round), making him the first head coach in NFL history to guide four teams to the playoffs.
2004
The
2004 season was one of turmoil. Starting quarterback
Quincy Carter was terminated for alleged drug use in favor of 40-year-old veteran
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde Sr. (; born November 13, 1963) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning con ...
, 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 the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
and
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, 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.
2005
The Cowboys improved their defense before the 2005 season with the additions of first-round draft picks
DeMarcus Ware and
Marcus Spears. Parcells drafted these players in hopes of jumpstarting the team's transition from the traditional
4–3 defense to a
3–4 defense, which Parcells ran in all of his previous stops. Jerry Jones also added a number of high-priced older veteran players, acquiring nose tackle
Jason Ferguson and cornerback
Anthony Henry via free agency, and linebacker
Scott Fujita via the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
. On offense, the Cowboys felt the need to upgrade their passing game to complement their top 2004 draft pick, running back
Julius Jones, and acquired quarterback
Drew 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, cornerback
Aaron Glenn, wide receiver
Keyshawn Johnson, and fullback
Richie Anderson with the Jets. In 2005, the Cowboys went 9–7, missing the playoffs by one game.
2006
In 2006, the Cowboys signed controversial former
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
Terrell Owens.
Keyshawn Johnson was released and signed with the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
. 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 quarterback
Drew Bledsoe with fourth-year quarterback
Tony 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 the
NFC East
The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It has four members: the Dallas Cowboys, New Yo ...
Division after a 23–7 loss to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
on Christmas Day in week 16 followed by a loss to the last-place team in the
NFC North, the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
in week 17. 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 by
Tony Romo during a field goal attempt.
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 the quarterback in 2003 and helped him develop into a Pro Bowl quarterback by 2006.
Third retirement
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 the
Seattle Seahawks, Parcells said that he was unsure if he would return in 2007, and the rumors about Parcells' future escalated.
On January 9, the ''
Newark Star Ledger'' reported through anonymous sources that Parcells had contacted the
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
about their available general manager position, but the Giants were not interested in Parcells' services. Parcells, the next day, quickly refuted any interest in the position, stating, "There is absolutely nothing to it. Whoever said it is a liar."
On January 22, 2007, he announced his retirement as head coach of the Cowboys after 4 years, apparently ending his coaching career.
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.
After retiring from coaching, Parcells became a studio analyst for
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
. 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 on ''
Monday Night Football
''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...
'', 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.)
Miami Dolphins
On December 19, 2007, the
Miami Herald
The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by McClatchy, The McClatchy Company and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1903, it is the fifth-largest newspaper in Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward County, Fl ...
reported that Parcells had agreed to become the new executive vice president of football operations of the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
. ESPN reported the following day that he signed a four-year contract.
Just a day prior, reports linking Parcells to the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
' position of vice president of football operations were leaked. However, the following day the Falcons formally announced that Parcells had turned down the offer because of discussions with Miami.
In the first season as executive vice president of football operations, Parcells fired head coach
Cam Cameron
Malcolm "Cam" Cameron (born February 6, 1961) is an American football coach who was most recently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the LSU Tigers football program. Cameron attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana an ...
, general manager
Randy Mueller, along with a few assistant coaches, after a 1–15 finish in the
2007 season. With vacancies at the general manager and head coaching spots, he brought in
Jeff Ireland to be the general manager and signed
Tony Sparano
Anthony Joseph Sparano III (October 7, 1961 – July 22, 2018) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and is the only NFL head coach to have l ...
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 tackle
Jake Long with the No. 1 overall pick, along with
Phillip Merling,
Kendall Langford,
Chad Henne,
Lex Hilliard, and
Donald Thomas. They also signed undrafted free agents
Dan Carpenter and
Davone Bess.
They also released fan favorite
Zach Thomas, who would end up signing with the Dallas Cowboys, and traded star defensive end
Jason Taylor to the Washington Redskins for a second-round pick in the 2009 draft.
The Dolphins then went on to sign quarterback
Chad Pennington (drafted by Parcells in his Jets days), who was cut by the Jets to make room for
Brett Favre.
The Dolphins finished the 2008 season 11–5 and became
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in th ...
champions when Pennington and the Dolphins defeated Favre and the Jets in the final game of the season. 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.
Advisory role with the Cleveland Browns
On February 12, 2014, Parcells was reportedly interviewed by the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
in an executive capacity, but the two sides could not come to a deal. However, on March 6, 2014,
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
executive
Gil Brandt reported Parcells had met with Browns owner
Jimmy Haslam
James Arthur Haslam III (born March 9, 1954) is an American businessman and sports executive. He is the chairman of the board of the Pilot Flying J truck stop chain. He and his wife Dee own the Cleveland Browns of the National Football Leag ...
as a courtesy consultant. Brandt made another tweet stating that Parcells met with
Teddy Bridgewater for 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 the
2014 NFL draft. But when the media contacted the Browns directly, the team denied these rumors.
In an interview with ''
The Plain Dealer
''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio; it is a major national newspaper. In the fall of 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily an ...
'', 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.
Since 2014, Parcells has on occasion given advice to the Browns, such as in 2017 when Parcells gave his endorsement to hiring
John Dorsey as their new general manager, 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 the
2018 NFL draft.
Personal life
Parcells was married to Judith Goss from 1962 until their divorce in 2002. The couple, who married when both were still undergraduates at Wichita State, had three daughters, Suzy, Dallas, and Jill.
Parcells's son-in-law through his daughter Dallas is football executive
Scott Pioli, who won three Super Bowls as an executive with the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
.
Head coaching record
College
NFL
Coaching tree
Parcells has worked under eight head coaches:
*
Dean Pryor:
Hastings
Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
(1964)
*
George Karras:
Wichita State
Wichita State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 ...
(1965)
*
Tom Cahill:
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
(1966–1969)
*
Bill Peterson:
Florida State
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
(1970)
*
Larry Jones: Florida State (1971–1972)
*
Steve Sloan:
Vanderbilt (1973–1974),
Texas Tech (1975–1977)
*
Ray Perkins:
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
(1979, 1981–1982)
*
Ron Erhardt:
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
(1980)
Seventeen of Parcells' coaching assistants became head coaches in the NFL or NCAA:
*
Al Groh,
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
(1981–1986),
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
(2000),
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...
(2001–2009)
*
Bill Belichick:
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
(1991–1995),
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
(2000–2023),
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...
(2025-present)
*
Ray Handley,
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
(1991–1992)
*
Tom Coughlin,
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
(1995–2002),
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
(2004–2015)
*
Walt Harris:
Pittsburgh Panthers (1997–2004),
Stanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
(2005–2006)
*
Chris Palmer,
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
(1999–2000)
*
Romeo Crennel,
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
(2005–2008),
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
(2011, interim, 2012),
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
(2020, interim)
*
Eric Mangini,
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
(2006–2008),
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
(2009–2010)
*
Sean Payton:
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
(2006–2021),
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
(2023–present)
*
Tony Sparano
Anthony Joseph Sparano III (October 7, 1961 – July 22, 2018) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and is the only NFL head coach to have l ...
,
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
(2008–2011),
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
(2014, interim)
*
Charlie Weis,
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...
(2005–2009),
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
(2012–2014)
*
Todd Haley,
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
(2009–2011)
*
Mike MacIntyre,
San Jose State University
San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the List of oldest schools in California, oldest public university on the West Coast of ...
(2010–2012),
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver, and the U ...
(2013–2018),
Florida International University
Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...
(2022–present)
*
Todd Bowles: Miami Dolphins (2011, interim),
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
(2015–2018),
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
(2022–present)
*
Mike Zimmer:
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
(2014–2021)
*
Anthony Lynn:
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...
(2017–2020)
*
Freddie Kitchens:
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
(2019)
Three of Parcells' former players became a head coach in the NFL or NCAA:
*
Dan Campbell: Miami Dolphins (2015, interim),
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
(2021–present)
*
Eddie George
Edward Nathan George Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is an American college American football, football coach and former running back who is the head football coach at Bowling Green Falcons football, Bowling Green State University. He previously ...
:
Tennessee State (2021–present)
*
Aaron Glenn:
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
(2025–present)
Ten of Parcells' coaches/executives became general managers in the NFL:
*Bill Belichick: New England Patriots (2000–2024)
*
Charley Armey:
St. Louis Rams (2000–2005)
*
Jerry Angelo:
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
(2001–2011)
*
Mike Tannenbaum: New York Jets (2006–2012)
*
Jeff Ireland: Miami Dolphins (2008–2013)
*
Scott Pioli:
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
(2009–2012)
*
Trent Baalke:
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
(2011–2016),
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
(2020, interim, 2021–2024)
*
Chris Grier:
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
(2016–present)
*
Brian Gaine:
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
(2018–2019)
*
Joe Schoen:
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
(2022–Present)
See also
*
History of the New York Giants (1979–1993)
*
List of National Football League head coaches with 50 wins
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parcells, Bill
1941 births
Living people
Air Force Falcons football coaches
American football linebackers
American racehorse owners and breeders
American television sports announcers
Army Black Knights football coaches
Coaches of American football from New Jersey
Coaches of American football from New York (state)
Dallas Cowboys head coaches
Detroit Lions players
ESPN people
Florida State Seminoles football coaches
Hastings Broncos football coaches
Miami Dolphins executives
NFL announcers
NFL defensive coordinators
NFL general managers
New England Patriots coaches
New England Patriots executives
New England Patriots head coaches
New York Giants coaches
New York Giants head coaches
New York Jets executives
New York Jets head coaches
People from Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey
People from Oradell, New Jersey
People from Sea Girt, New Jersey
People from Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
Players of American football from Englewood, New Jersey
Players of American football from Monmouth County, New Jersey
Players of American football from New York City
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
River Dell Regional High School alumni
Sportspeople from Manhattan
Super Bowl–winning head coaches
Texas Tech Red Raiders football coaches
Vanderbilt Commodores football coaches
Wichita State Shockers football coaches
Wichita State Shockers football players
NFL Coach of the Year winners