HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Bill Parcells quit as director of
football operations of the New York Jets on Tuesday, saying he's
not ready for the commitment needed to make the team a consistent
title contender.
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Tue., Jan. 9
Clearly, Bill Parcells leaves the Jets in better shape than he found them. But when you look at just the events of the last year with the coaching situation, the volatility that will exist in this franchise in the next three or four years is beyond his control.
Bill Parcells has always looked for new challenges and opportunities. Locking himself into a long-term situation would go against his nature. This is a smart move for him, personally. He feels he has accomplished as much as he can do in every capacity with the Jets. He has now created an opportunity for himself to do some other things either in or out of football.
The Jets will probably look to hire an emerging guy who hasn't been a head coach yet. Bringing a guy like Marvin Lewis in as coach with Tom Donahoe, who could have an opportunity to be the GM in New York, would be a natural combination as they worked together previously in Pittsburgh. |
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Parcells leaves just 10 days after coach Al Groh resigned
suddenly to coach Virginia, his alma mater.
"I feel a long-term commitment is now in order," Parcells said
during a conference call. "I don't feel I'm the person to make
that commitment. We're moving on."
Parcells said he had suggested possible replacements to owner
Woody Johnson, but he would not be directly involved in any
interviews for a coach or general manager.
"I'm more than willing to assist in the transition," he said.
Parcells' resignation takes effect at the end of the month. He
met for several hours with Johnson on Monday, the second time the
two had discussed the Jets' future in the past week.
"We are obviously disappointed that Bill Parcells has made his
decision not to return to the New York Jets next season," Johnson
said. "During his tenure with the Jets, he resurrected a franchise
that had been struggling for a number of years."
Parcells, 59, was burdened by the demands of the job.
"People don't know how consuming this job is the way I do it,"
he said. "There's no time off, no time away. With the season over
and now faced with hiring a new coach, I don't feel I want to do
all that again. It's time for somebody else to do it. This is a
good opportunity for someone else to run the organization."
Since Groh left, Johnson had tried to persuade Parcells to stay
and perhaps even return to coaching. But Parcells, who resigned as
Jets coach a year ago, said he has no plans to return to the
sidelines.
"My intention is not to coach," Parcells said. "If I wanted
to coach, I would have come back and coached the Jets. My intention
is moving on to another venue. I don't know what. I'm not out
looking. That's the truth."
There had been speculation that Parcells' next stop might be TV,
where he worked after leaving the New York Giants.
"I have not talked to people in television," he said. "I've
had no discussions with anybody about anything. I've been too busy
getting things orderly here."
The Jets failed to make the playoffs this season despite needing
just one win in their final three games. New York dropped all
three, including a 34-20 loss to Baltimore on the final day of the
season, and finished 9-7 in Groh's only year as coach.
Parcells coached the Jets from 1997-99, and turned a loser into
a playoff contender. In his three seasons as coach, the Jets were
29-19 and in 1998 lost the AFC title game.
"I think the football team is a little better off than when we
got here," Parcells said.
Since the end of the 1989 season, when Joe Walton was fired, the
Jets have had Bruce Coslet (four seasons), Pete Carroll (one), Rich
Kotite (two), Parcells (three), Bill Belichick (one day) and Groh
as coaches. Groh was elevated last January after Belichick resigned
after one day on the job.
Parcells made his reputation of turning losers into Super Bowl
contenders. But he failed to get the Jets to the title game even
though he rebuilt the team from the minute he took over as coach in
'97.
During his tenure, he brought in quarterback Vinny Testaverde,
running back Curtis Martin, linebacker Bryan Cox and others and
used the draft to wheel-and-deal for extra selections.
Calling the shots before and after he promoted Groh to coach,
Parcells traded star wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson to Tampa Bay
before the draft, and the Jets wound up with a record four
first-round picks.
With Testaverde returning from a torn Achilles' tendon, the Jets
jumped to a 9-4 record and appeared in control of the AFC East. But
then came the collapse: losses to Oakland, Detroit and finally the
Ravens.
Before Parcells' resignation, Jets assistant head coach Maurice
Carthon was the leading contender to replace Groh if the team
decides to hire within the organization.
"While it will be hard to replace someone of Bill's ability and
leadership, we intend to use all our efforts to build on what he
started by creating a first-rate management team," Johnson said.
Johnson bought the Jets a year ago from the estate of the late
Leon Hess for $635 million.
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