Parcells Becomes First Coach Inducted in Seven Years

It would take a long memory to remember the last time Bill Parcells was a successful head football coach. Nevertheless, the former coach of the Giants, Jets, Dolphins, and Cowboys became the first coach to join the Hall of Fame in seven years.

After his highly successful tenure with the Giants that saw the team win the 1986 and 1990 Super Bowl titles, Parcells became more hype than production, compiling an unimpressive 95-81 record and missing the playoffs more often than not.

Despite marginal success after his tenure with the Giants, Parcells will be remembered as a pioneer of the 3-4 defense and for a coaching tree that includes Tom Coughlin, Bill Bellichick, and Sean Payton. In his induction speech, the newly minted Hall of Famer mentioned the success of those former assistants as among his proudest accomplishments.

Parcells also made history by becoming the first coach in NFL history to take four different franchises to the playoffs. “Every organization I worked for supported me to the fullest,” Parcells said at the ceremony. “Without that, you’ve got no shot.”