“And with that, Bill Parcells, please take over.” Those were the words Leon Hess used when introducing Bill Parcells as the head coach of the New York Jets during the 1997 offseason.
Bill Belichick stepped down as temporary head coach and Parcells—a man who had just helped save the Patriots’ New England existence—took charge. In classic Parcells fashion, he immediately paid dividends.
The Big Tuna led the Jets to a surprising 9-7 record in his first year after the organization finished a combined 4-28 over the previous two seasons with Rich Kotite at the helm.