Bill Parcells Is Willing To Consider New Orleans Saints Job

If New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton can’t win his appeal and is suspended for the 2012 NFL coaching season the Saints could be helped along by future all of fame coach Bill Parcells.

Speaking to ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen Parcells said on Wednesday:

“If the opportunity presents itself, I’ll think it over and clearly I’m in some phase of the process without knowing whether it’s going to become a reality,” and “Sean’s become a dear, dear friend. I’m trying to be a friend.”

Parcells then continued:

“You know, when I was a young coach, there were people like Chuck Noll, Chuck Knox and Tom Landry who were there for me. I think to honor those guys who helped me, you turn around and pass that legacy on to somebody else and Sean’s an example of that. If he needs me and the owner and GM feel the same way, then I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t consider it.”

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Sean Payton would go after the former Dallas Cowboys coach to lead his job for one season, Payton worked under Parcells with the Dallas Cowboys and he has long called Bill his mentor

When speaking to Mortensen Parcells revealed:

“Sean is not the one doing the hiring. That’s up to Mickey Loomis and [Saints owner] Tom Benson. I’m just getting to know Loomis, which is one reason we played golf yesterday. I mean, we’ve obviously had discussions about doing this but there are still too many hypotheticals to draw a conclusion right now.”

Sean Payton is being suspended for one season for his part in a bounty program that paid New Orleans Saints players a bounty every single time they injured a star player on an opposing team.

Parcells admits that he won’t go somewhere where he wouldn’t feel effective. Parcells reveals that he would have to examine all of the variables before he made a decision about returning to NFL head coach status.

The other consideration will likely be when the Sean Payton decision is finalized with some experts claiming it could take days while others claim it could take months for the NFL to issue a final ruling.

As far as returning to a head coach position Parcells told USA Today:

“That’s been my life. I love the game. The NFL has been good to me. If you like competition, Sunday at one o’clock, it’s there for you.”

Loomis in the meantime will likely have the final decision, he won’t start his suspension until the first game of 2012 regular season which means personnel decisions still remain in Loomis’ grasp.

Bill Parcells was a 2011 NFL Hall Of Fame runner-up, another few playoff victories and perhaps a Super Bowl victory helped along by Drew Brees definitely wouldn’t hurt his standings.