Bill Parcells addresses future of Bill Belichick after Patriots exit
Bill Belichick.
Bill Parcells seems unsurprised that fellow coaching legend Bill Belichick plans to continue working from the sidelines on NFL Sundays after Belichick and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft confirmed last week that they “mutually” agreed to part ways.
“Coaching can be a narcotic for guys like us,” Parcells told Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe. “I can put (former Seattle Seahawks head coach) Pete Carroll and Bill in there. We view ourselves as coaches. It can be a grind, and the older you get, sometimes the grind gets greater, but we love the game.”
Belichick turns 72 years old in April but is 15 victories away from setting a new NFL record for career wins earned by a head coach (regular season and postseason combined). As of Friday afternoon, he seemed close to becoming the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
“You still got to do it the way you know it should be done,” Parcells continued. “And knowing Bill so well, I’m sure he did it exactly like that…That doesn’t mean it’s any less of a task, but as you get older, it takes a little more. I don’t feel like it ever beat me down. After a while, you know it’s going to end sometime, but it’s never a good time.”
As noted by ESPN, Belichick first worked under Parcells with the New York Giants from 1979 until Belichick became head coach of the Cleveland Browns following the 1990 season. The two again linked up in the ’90s for stints with the Patriots and New York Jets.
While Parcells earned two Super Bowl rings as a head coach, Belichick famously guided the Patriots to six titles. Thus, it’s possibly not surprising that Parcells revealed he has no meaningful “advice” regarding Belichick’s next steps.
“He’s been around long enough to know what he wants to do, and I really don’t have any idea what that is,” Parcells added about Belichick. “All I know is, he’s a football lifer and he’s shown that. I’m pretty sure if he wants to coach again, he’ll be looking for a situation that he thinks is conducive to winning. In this business, it’s either euphoria or disaster. I hope he does whatever makes him happy.”
Belichick may have already chosen Atlanta as his next football home. However, he could be waiting to hear from a team that’s still competing in the ongoing postseason tournament before he puts pen to paper on a contract.
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