Bill Parcells , at the age of 65, decided he has had enough. The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys for the last four seasons, announced his retirement on Monday.
Over 19 seasons in the NFL, coaching the Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys, Parcells went to three Super Bowls and won two of them with the Giants. He leaves with the ninth most wins in NFL history. His career record is 183-138-1. In Dallas, Parcells went 34-32 with only a pair of playoff losses.
Parcells said he leaves in good health but just didn't have the energy to continue to give the time necessary to do the job. He leaves with one year remaining on his contract that would have paid him $5.5-million.
Is there something more to Parcells departure? Probably. In all liklihood, Parcells leaving has more to do with Terrell Owens than anything else. Parcells had a hard time with Owens and his approach. Had it been up to Bill Parcells, he probably wouldn't have had to deal with Owens. But Jerry Jones is the owner and general manager in Dallas and it was his choice to bring Owens in.
My guess is Parcells, at his age, isn't willing to compromise his believes or coaching style. He's not going to allow a player like Terrell Owens rule the roost. Knowing that Owens wasn't going any place, rather then fight him, why not just step aside. Owens isn't a team player. He's in this for himself. Parcells couldn't put up with that, nor should he.
The Cowboys may have gone 0-2 in playoff games under Parcells, but they're a better team now then they were when Parcells first arrived. He's certainly disappointed with the results in big "D", but he has nothing to be ashamed of.
Provided he stays retired, which I think he will, Parcells next stop is the Pro Football Hall of Fame.