Parcells retires from coaching
New York Giants coach Bill Parcells is carried off the field after the Giants defeated the Denver Broncos, 39-20, in Super Bowl XXI in Pasadena, Ca., in this Jan. 25, 1987 file photo. Parcells retired from coaching Monday, Jan. 22, 2007, leaving the Dall The Associated Press
January 23, 2007
IRVING, Texas – Bill Parcells could have returned to the Dallas Cowboys for one more shot at becoming the first coach to lead three teams into the Super Bowl.
He could have come back to try ending the longest playoff drought in the franchise’s proud history. Or he could have come back to finish what he started in developing quarterback Tony Romo and a 3-4 defense.
Instead, 15 days after a gut-wrenching playoff loss in Seattle, Parcells decided Monday to call it a career, ending a four-year run in Dallas and a 19-year tenure in the NFL that included three Super Bowls and two championships.
“I am retiring from coaching football,” Parcells said in a statement. “I want to thank Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones for their tremendous support over the last four years. Also, the players, my coaching staff and others in the support group who have done so much to help. Dallas is a great city and the Cowboys are an integral part of it. I am hopeful that they are able to go forward from here.”
Known for a gruff demeanor and colorful quotes, Parcells leaves with the ninth-most wins in NFL history and a career record of 183-138-1. He was 34-32 in Dallas, counting two playoff losses. He had one year left and he would have made more than $5 million on a contract extension signed last January.
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“I am in good health and feel lucky to have been able to coach in the NFL for an extended period of time,” the 65-year-old coach said.
Although he failed to make the Cowboys champions again, Parcells leaves the Cowboys better than he found it. The club went from three straight 5-11 seasons before he arrived to making the playoffs twice in four years.
“His contributions to the game of football and to the NFL are immeasurable,” Team owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. “We will always be grateful for his dedicated effort and commitment to the Dallas Cowboys.”
Parcells expected big things in 2006 and, thanks to the emergence of Romo, Dallas had a two-game division lead in December. Then the Cowboys lost four of their final five games, including the last three. The capper came against the Seahawks after Romo bungled the hold of a short field goal with a little more than a minute left.
“I did the best I could,” Parcells said following that game. “But it wasn’t quite good enough.”
AP Sports Writers Gregg Bell in Seattle and Rick Gano in Chicago, and AP writer David Porter in New Jersey contributed to this report.
