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Will he or won't he? Parcells says he'll decide his future quickly
Posted: Sunday January 02, 2000 06:45 PM
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The "will he or won't he" game will end very quickly for Bill Parcells. Perhaps as soon as Monday. The New York Jets coach, who has hedged on returning next season, said after Sunday's season-ending 19-9 victory over Seattle that he will make an almost immediate decision on his future. "I'm going to think this over real quick," Parcells said after the Jets won their fourth straight to rally from 1-6 and finish 8-8. "We've got imminent changes here in the organization and I have a responsibility to the organization, and I'll adhere to that all the way and do my best to get things squared away very quickly." If he is listening to the players or fans, he will return. The fans chanted "One More Year!" in the fourth quarter and the players echoed that sentiment. "I always hope I play for that guy," said Curtis Martin, a workhorse running back under Parcells for four of his five NFL seasons, the first two in New England. "If I had my druthers, I would say, 'Bill, you've got to stay until my contract is up.' He deserves to do what is going to make his heart sing." Added Ray Lucas, the quarterback project who proved himself with a superb second half of the season: "The coach is a winner, and I think we gave him a reason to come back next year. Maybe 8-8 is not good at all, but we definitely are one of the hottest teams in football and it's a shame we are not going anywhere. I hope he feels the same way I do and comes back." Parcells, 59, turned around three franchises. He won two Super Bowls with the Giants and got to one with the Patriots. He has been 9-7, 12-4 and 8-8 in his three years as Jets coach. Parcells left the Giants after the 1990 season due to heart problems. He has been healthy recently, but said health considerations are a major factor in any career decisions. Also of importance is the team's sale. After owner Leon Hess died in May, the Hess family put the team on the block. The bidding process is over and two bids are being evaluated -- from Cablevision chairman Charles Dolan, and Johnson & Johnson heir Robert Wood Johnson IV. Parcells is not allowed to be in contact with either group. "We might not have a new owner for three months," he said Sunday. "I'll (give a decision) maybe as soon as tomorrow."
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