Athletes - Bill Parcells

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	Athletes - Bill Parcells

Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells (born August 22, 1941 in Englewood, New Jersey), nicknamed "The Big Tuna", is an American football head coach for the Dallas Cowboys and is widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history.

Parcells married his wife Judith in 1962. He is the father of three daughters named Suzy, Jill and Dallas. He divorced his wife after 40 years of marriage on January 16, 2002.

Early career

His football career began as a linebacker for Wichita State between 1961 to 1963. His assistant coaching jobs on the collegiate level were Hastings (1964), Wichita State (1965), Army (1966-69), Florida State University (1970-72), Vanderbilt (1973-74) and Texas Tech (1975-77). He was head coach at Air Force (1978).

New York Giants

In 1979, Parcells joined the New York Giants as the defensive coordinator under Ray Perkins. In 1980, he left to join the New England Patriots as the linebackers coach under Ron Erhardt for one year before returning to the Giants as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. When Perkins announced on December 15, 1982 that he was leaving the Giants at the end of the season to become head coach at the University of Alabama, the Giants announced that Parcells would succeed him as head coach.

When Parcells took over in 1983, the New York Giants were a team that 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. The result was a disastrous 3-12-1 season in which the Giants seriously considered bringing in Howard Schnellenberger to replace Parcells.

After the dismal first season, Parcells made Simms the starter again. The team's record improved to 9-7 and 10-6 over the next two years and earned them their first back-to-back play-off appearances since 1961-1963. In 1986, he proceeded to take the New York Giants to the first of two Super Bowls. That year, the Giants compiled a franchise best 14-2 record and the first of three division titles. Parcells, along with a stifling 3-4 defense known as Big Blue led by Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Harry Carson, and Leonard Marshall, and an offense under the direction of Phil Simms, crushed the San Francisco 49ers, 49-3, and the Washington Redskins, 17-0, in the play-offs before routing the Denver Broncos, 39-20, in Super Bowl XXI. Following the Super Bowl win, the Atlanta Falcons courted Parcells and attempted to make him their General Manager and Head Coach. Parcells opted to stay with the Giants.

Parcells led the Giants to a second Super Bowl in 1990. The Giants began the 1990 season 10-0, and finished 13-3, but lost Simms to injury late in the season. Playing with a back-up quaterback in Jeff Hostetler and a 33 year-old, veteran running back in O.J. Anderson, the Giants overcame the Chicago Bears in the divisional play-off, 31-3, and won in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion over San Francisco, 15-13, in the NFC Championship on a last-second 41-yard field goal by Matt Bahr which was set-up by a turnover caused by the great Giant Big Blue defense. Super Bowl XXV proved equally exciting as the Giants used tough defense and power running to stop the Buffalo Bills, 20-19, whose own last-second 47-yard field goal attempt by Scott Norwood sailed wide right. He retired from football after Super Bowl XXV due to health problems. This was considered to be Parcells' greatest victory, since the Giants were overcoming injuries and the Bills were considered to be nearly unstoppable that year. During his tenure, the Giants had secured three division titles (1986, 1989, 1990), had only two losing seasons (the Giants went 6-9 in 1987) and an 8-3 play-off record.

First Retirement

Following retirement, Parcells would spend time as a football analyst for NBC Sports from 1991 - 1992. He worked as a studio commentator. He also hosted a local sports show in New York with Mike Francesa entitled Around the NFL.

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Athletes - Bill Parcells

Early career

New York Giants

First Retirement

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