There’s a fun debate going on within Patriots Nation right now as to whether or not Bill Parcells deserves to be elected to the Pats Hall of Fame.
While I believe Parcells certainly is a notable name in Patriots history and deserves consideration, I would not vote him in now, and maybe not ever.
I clearly remember when the Pats brought Parcells in after what was a gruesome start to the 90s. I saw quite a few of those games firsthand and the on-field product was embarrassing. So when Parcells came in and the logo changed over to the Flying Elvis, we were all reinvigorated. That excitement is not lost on me.
Parcells also drafted some key guys who would later win Super Bowls – Troy Brown, Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, Lawyer Milloy, Ted Johnson, Ty Law, and Adam Vinatieri.
Perhaps most importantly, Parcells introduced Robert Kraft to Bill Belichick when Belichick joined the team in 1996 as the secondary coach.
But we also cannot forget about the acrimonious end to Parcells’ career in New England, which really put a dark cloud over the Pats Super Bowl appearance in 1996. You could even say it was enough of a distraction that it hindered the Pats in the big game. And that he then went to the Jets and took Curtis Martin with him certainly isn’t playing in his favor either.
But when it was all said and done, here was Parcells’ records with the Patriots and the ranks of the offenses and defenses.
- 1993: 5-11 22nd/11th (Missed Playoffs)
- 1994: 10-6 8th/12th (Lost Wild Card Round)
- 1995: 6-10 23rd/25th (Missed Playoffs)
- 1996: 11-5 2nd/14th (Lost in Super Bowl)
When I think of who I want in the Patriots Hall of Fame, I want legendary Patriots. Guys who are synonymous with the team and made extended and lasting contributions both on the field and off it.
There’s no question the moment Parcells came to New England, the franchise was relevant again. Not because they were suddenly a good team, but because Parcells brought name recognition to the coaching staff after the Pats had toiled with guys like Dick MacPherson and Rod Rust.
But was the on-field production of Parcells’ teams Hall of Fame worthy? He did have the luxury of a first overall selected quarterback Drew Bledsoe which certainly gave him someone to build around. The cupboard wasn’t completely barren.
Parcells set the table for the Super Bowl runs in the early 2000s, but there was also three years of Pete Carroll in between. Carroll won 27 games in those three years. Parcells won 32 in four.
Parcells is a significant name in the history of the Patriots, but not a slam dunk Hall of Famer by my standards on the field or off it. Parcells’ quotability and personality would make him a favorite for any popularity poll, but it’s not about popularity, it’s about excellence for the New England Patriots.
Parcells’ excellence was either established before he arrived in New England or accomplished by a handful of players he drafted after he left. What he did while he was in Foxboro while solid, just doesn’t scream excellence to me, and the details of his departure only convince me more that he doesn’t deserve to be enshrined now, if ever.