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Tuna time Parcells talks coaching, Hall of Fame, legacy
It won't be the same without Bill Parcells walking the sidelines in the NFL this year. He retired from coaching once before, but came back. Now he's walked away from coaching again. But this time, he says it's for good as he takes on the role of chief football operations officer for the Jets. CNNSI.com's Mark Morgan sat down with the elusive Parcells for a rare one-on-one interview. Mark Morgan: Is it possible you could have gone though another year [as coach]? Bill Parcells: Oh, sure. I told the players the day I stepped down, "Hey, I can coach another 16 games. I can coach another 32 games. I can coach another 48 games." But I couldn't do it with the commitment I know is necessary. I always told them as players, there's no shame in giving up his game. And when you don't want to come out of that huddle and you don't want to hit anybody anymore, there's no shame in that. Fifteen years as a head coach in the NFL, trust me, is enough for anyone.
Morgan: Vinny Testaverde's injury in Game One of last season, obviously devastating. How much did that take out of you as a head coach to rally that team and make that sprint at the end of the year? Parcells: I was mad at myself when the season was over. Because I had I done it three weeks earlier, had I done a little better job then I did getting this team back together and not using Vinny or Leon Johnson or Bryan Cox injuries as excuses for losing, and [instead] pointing out, "Here you're losing because you're turning the ball over and you're getting too many penalties." That's why we were losing. Once we fixed that we started winning. So, had I done that three weeks earlier, you know we might have been playing for something. Morgan: Did the 1998 AFC Championship game, [and] season take more out of you? Because many people commented that when you walked off that field in Denver, you looked spent. Parcells: I was. Morgan: Are you saying that [season] took more out of you maybe then last year trying to rally the troops after Vinny's injury? Parcells: Yes. I think without question it did. Because it was, the last month of that '98 season was high pressure every week. High pressure. And [playing against] the good teams, good opponents. And we were just finding our way at building our confidence at that point. Morgan: The year 1983 and the New York Giants. Your first NFL coaching job. Does that feel like it was 17 years ago? Parcells: Sometimes it feels like it was yesterday. And as you know time goes fast when you get to be my age. But sometimes it feels like a distant memory so much has transpired. But in any case, I've been very fortunate. Hey, nobody has been luckier than me. Hey, I've been very lucky. I've worked in my hometown New York metropolitan area for two different teams. I'm an East Coast guy. I was in New England. All my friends and family are basically East Coast people. I've just been very fortunate. Morgan: Do you ever think about the Hall of Fame? Because with your coaching credentials, you would seem to be almost a lock. Parcells: I don't think I necessarily belong there. But am I hopeful? Absolutely. Morgan: What will your legacy be? Parcells: I have no idea. Morgan: What would you like it to be? Parcells: "He tried to win every game that he tried to coach." That's all I'd like it to be. And for the players that played in those games to know, "Hey, Parcells, he was trying to win. He was trying to win." So I mean pre-season, regular season, playoff, division championships, Super Bowls, Wild Cards. Whatever it was, I'd just like it to be, "He was trying to win."
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