Former New England head coach Bill Parcells will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame as a contributor.
Franchise owner Robert Kraft made the announcement Tuesday in a news release.
Parcellls guided the Patriots to a 32-32 regular-season record from 1993-96. While the .500 mark pales by comparison to what was to come for the franchise under Bill Belichick, it marked a turning point for New England, which was 14-50 in the four seasons before his arrival.
“In the early 1990s, the Patriots were in disarray,” Kraft said. “But the hiring of Bill Parcells in 1993, a two-time Super Bowl champion, brought instant credibility to the franchise. We had never had a head coach with his credentials. He was a master motivator and always got the most out of his players. In my first season as owner, he led us on that unforgettable seven-game win streak to qualify for the playoffs.
“Two years later, he accomplished something Patriots fans had never seen before, leading us to our first two home playoff wins in franchise history, and another trip to the Super Bowl. Those are memories I will never forget and achievements worthy of this honor. As a five-time finalist for our Hall of Fame, I am sure he would have been voted in eventually, but I wanted to expedite the process so he can enjoy the ceremony. I look forward to welcoming Bill back to Foxborough and celebrating his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame.”
The Patriots’ honor comes 12 years after Parcells, now 83, was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is the only coach in NFL history to lead four different teams to the playoffs and three different teams to a conference championship game.
Parcells had a career 172-130-1 record with the New York Giants (1983-90 with two Super Bowl wins), Patriots, New York Jets (1997-99) and Dallas Cowboys (2003-06).
