Who Will Replace Parcells?

NEW YORK (AP) â€” People who have followed Bill Parcells have found it a near-impossible task. Just ask Ray Handley and Pete Carroll. <br><br>Even Al Groh stayed just one season in Parcells' shadow

Wednesday, January 10th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) â€” People who have followed Bill Parcells have found it a near-impossible task. Just ask Ray Handley and Pete Carroll.

Even Al Groh stayed just one season in Parcells' shadow with the New York Jets â€” and he went 9-7.

Now, the Jets not only are searching for a coaching successor to Groh, who left earlier this month for the University of Virginia, but also for a chief of football operations. Parcells quit Tuesday, citing an unwillingness to make a long-term commitment to a franchise that often floundered near the bottom of the NFL before he took over in 1997.

``It's just time to get out of this routine,'' Parcells said. ``There's no time off, there's no time away. You can't get away from the job. And now with this changeover, I just thought it would be better at this point to move on.''

Actually, the 59-year-old Parcells expected to move on last year. One day after an injury-ravaged 8-8 season, he quit, giving the reins to hand-chosen successor Bill Belichick. One day later, Belichick resigned, winding up coaching in New England, with Groh taking over.

``Last year, when I stepped down from coaching, I felt like I was going to be leaving the organization,'' he admitted. ``I didn't know what was going to happen. ... I was pretty much going to turn the thing over to Bill Belichick, and then when that changed things, then I felt ... obligated. We have a new owner (Woody Johnson). He really didn't have much information, and he asked me, `Listen, help me out here.'

``And I said I would try to do it, and that's what I tried to do.''

Johnson, who bought the team a year ago and is a pro football novice, almost certainly will hire an experienced NFL executive to take over for Parcells. The new coach will be chosen by Parcells' replacement.

An NFL source, on the condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that former Pittsburgh Steelers director of football operations Tom Donahoe will be contacted immediately. Donahoe could not be reached by telephone, and the Jets would not comment on specific candidates.

The Buffalo Bills offered Donahoe a four-year contract worth about $3 million, but he wanted a longer deal, the source said.

``I've discussed people that I know in the business that are potential candidates, but I think that's going to be his decision,'' Parcells said of Johnson, who wanted him to commit for another four years. ``I think they are going to pick out some people to talk to, and I'm assuming that will be forthcoming pretty shortly.

``I'm going to try to assist in that process anyway possible. But I'm not going to be involved directly with the interview process or recommendations.''

Most of the calls Parcells made in his career were good ones.

Parcells led the Giants to two Super Bowl titles (1986 and 1990) in his eight seasons as coach. He resigned because of health problems, but returned to coach the Patriots from 1993-96. He guided them to the 1996 AFC title, but lost to Green Bay in the Super Bowl amid rumors he was leaving because of a feud with owner Robert Kraft over control of personnel.

Handley followed Parcells as coach of the Giants, lasted two tumultuous seasons and has been out of football since 1992. Carroll, now the head coach at Southern California, succeeded Parcells in New England, but was fired after three seasons.

After a messy confrontation between the Jets and Patriots over his availability, Parcells wound up in New York, and the Patriots received four draft picks as compensation. This time, Parcells had total control.

In 1998, he took the Jets to their first division title since the NFL merger in 1970. They lost at Denver for the conference championship, then went 8-8 during an injury-ravaged '99 season.

He was 30-20 in three seasons as coach.

Where is he headed, other than to his home in Jupiter, Fla., by the weekend? Perhaps to television, or to owning a minor league baseball team, something he once said intrigues him.

Probably not back to the NFL.

``I think John Madden had it right,'' he said. ``Unless you find something to replace it, then there's a chance that you'll go back.

``Now John Madden has gone to the top in two professions, one in football and one in television. Joe Gibbs has gone to the top in two professions, one in football and one in race cars. Those two gentlemen obviously found something to replace football.

``But it's a little bit like a narcotic; it's hard to get it out of your system sometimes. But I've been at it a very, very long time. I think there's a good chance I can get it out of my system.''