Bill Parcells finally admits his arrogance while in New England

Sam Galanis, NESN:

“The first year and a half or so that I was there, there was a tremendous number of different agendas with the people that were in the organization,” Parcells said. “Nobody was really on the same page. … It was a very difficult situation, and then, of course, when a new owner (Robert Kraft) comes in, I didn’t really know what to expect, and I was a little bit jaded from my first-year experience, so I would say I had my guard up a little too much, and I wasn’t quite open-minded enough.”

Parcells was the Patriots’ head coach from 1993 to 1996, and he left due to the disagreements he talked about, namely, with Kraft. But now that the owner and Parcells have patched things up, he looks at his experience in New England much differently.

Merriam-Webster: arrogance - an insulting way of thinking or behaving that comes from believing that you are better, smarter, or more important than other people

Bill Parcells didn't have to wait 15 years to tell us he may have been a "little" arrogant. They should put his picture beside the word in the dictionary. That doesn't make him a bad guy or a bad coach, however.

In 1992, the New England Patriots started the season 0-9. It wasn't earth shattering news when rumors of a move to St. Louis began to fly when St. Louis businessman James Orthwein bought out his partners. He was now sole owner of the franchise. The Patriots finished the season, 2-14.

Following a 9-39 three season disaster, the Patriots signed Bill Parcells to run the football operation. Owner James B. Orthwein kept the team in New England and sold the franchise to Bob Kraft. The team made significant progress on the field in 1993, finishing with four straight wins for a 5-11 record.

The 1994 squad played an exciting brand of ball, including the no-huddle offense. Sellout crowds had returned and the team ran off seven straight wins to make the playoffs at 10-6. Success had come quickly for head coach and general manager, Bill Parcells. His methods worked and nobody could tell him, otherwise.

A step back in 1995 to 6-10 brought some questions from ownership, but they were answered with a Super Bowl run in 1996. The divide between the head coach and the owner had only widened. One knew football and the other knew business, and the two could not intermingle.

“I did get a little education when I went to Dallas. (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones kind of took the time to give me the owner’s point of view just a little bit better than I’d ever had it before.

Those stints with the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins wouldn't have been necessary if Bill Parcells had toed the company line. If he did that, the New England Patriots might still look like the 1993 model instead of today's shiny showroom display.


If Bob Kraft had let Bill Parcells do the shopping, that would have been one expensive dinner.

The break of Bill and Bob was most likely attributable to the drafting of WR Terry Glenn. Let the record show it was not Bill who sent the Super Bowl XXXVI ring to Terry by way of the US Postal Service.


Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire.

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