Bill Parcells Resigns as Coach of the Dallas Cowboys

While the announcement itself was not entirely unexpected, how the announcement was made by Bill Parcells that he was stepping down as Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys was a little out of character for the often outspoken, always colorful Parcells.

Monday's announcement was done, believe it or not, through an e-mail. After watching Parcells for much of his 19-year career, the one thing I felt I could count on was one of the always entertaining press conferences that he was well known for. After the shock of the announcement set it in though, and after having the chance to review much of the details of the announcement, Parcell's reasons, at least as far as I am concerned, the announcement came into better focus.

Clearly, this was not a decision that came easily to Parcells, and though those close to the situation felt that the longer he went without making a decision, the more likely he was to return to complete the job he started of rebuilding this proud franchise, known for a long time as "America's Team."

Who can forget that one of the first things Parcell's did prior to his first training camp with the Cowboys was to remove the famous Dallas "Star" from every single helmet. By doing this, Parcell's sent a very clear message to each and every member of that first team, that the privilege of playing in the NFL was earned, not given. There are very few coaches in any of the pro sports that command the respect that would allow this tactic to work as a motivational tool.

Cowboy's linebacker Bradie James described his reaction to the resignation as "shocked", and he recalled from a conversation that he had with Parcells two Fridays ago that Parcells was still actively interested in his players opinions, and what decision he should make as to his coaching future. James went on to tell Parcells he felt it would be a shame to have another coach come in and have the success with the players that Parcells had brought together.

Although agreeing with James, Parcells also stated that he was "getting old", and didn't want the game to pass him by. That to me is the most telling statement and conclusion of his resignation.

At age 65, and after having dealt with the ever increasing anxiety of handling today's high-priced athletes, Parcells seemed to be saying it is a young man's game now, both from a coaching, and to a certain extent a "connection" standpoint. To draw a parallel of sorts, is it any wonder that another highly successful and younger coach in Bill Cowher has taken at least a year off to recharge his batteries?

Witness the hirings this week of Mike Tomlin, age 34, as the new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the even younger, age 31, youngest ever hiring of Lane Kiffin as the new Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders. The age of these hirings suggests to me at least, that a part of the hiring decisions for these two teams became finding a candidate that could relate, hopefully to ALL the challenges that today's professional athlete face both on and off the field.

The bottom line is this, Coach Bill Parcells and his methods are probably on their way out from professional football, but for this fan at least, his many significant contributions, including the development of Bill Belichick as the premier coach in the game today, will not soon be forgotten. Most importantly, the sound bites and video clips from the many entertaining press conferences he held over the years should become a DVD Collection, released every year until they run out of material, which frankly, I don't think they ever will.

Good Luck Coach Parcells, I hope to see you again soon!