We’ve been fortunate enough to see several of the greatest head coaches to ever coach in the NFL come through the New York Giants organization, such as Tom Coughlin. Now we're lucky enough to witness John Harbaugh serve as the franchise’s next leader. But Bill Parcells was the best of them all.
Parcells, also known as "The Big Tuna," led the Giants from 1983 to 1990 and, after a decade of struggles, helped transform the team. He led them to their first two Super Bowl victories, over the Denver Broncos in 1987 and the Buffalo Bills in 1991, which will always be remembered when looking back on his illustrious career.
The legendary coach will always be remembered for those titles, but also for his physical and defensive-minded philosophy. That approach helped quickly build contenders and cement his legacy in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Even two decades after his retirement, Parcells is still remembered for his accomplishments and honored as one of the game’s greatest coaches of all time.
CBS Sports names Bill Parcells the 13th greatest head coach of all time
Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports recently asked six NFL reporters to compile a list of the 20 best coaches of all time in the league’s 107-year history. The list includes several Pro Football Hall of Famers you would expect to make it, along with one Hall of Fame snub who ironically came in at No. 1: Bill Belichick.
What is interesting is that the Giants' legendary head coach, Tom Coughlin, who beat the “greatest NFL coach of all time” twice in the Super Bowl, did not crack the list at all, despite three of the six voters voting for him, two ranking him at No. 19, and the other at No. 20, I rest my case.
The list includes coaches like Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, George Halas, John Madden, and even active Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, but one name that certainly stuck out to Big Blue fans was Parcells, who cracked the list at No. 13. Speaking of Belichick and Coughlin, they were each assistants under him previously.
It’s worth noting that Parcells received votes from all six voters. Three ranked him the 13th-greatest NFL coach of all time, and the other three placed him at No. 14. That just goes to show you the impact he had not just on the Giants, but on several teams.
Parcells not only won at the highest level, but also his ability to resurrect struggling franchises made him stand out among the best. The Big Tuna led four different franchises to the playoffs: the Giants, Patriots, Jets, and Cowboys. It was the instant turnaround each team had that landed him on this list.
When he took over the Giants, the team had finished 1-15 the year before; the Patriots and the Cowboys had finished 2-14 and 1-15 the year before, respectively. Each of those teams were quickly transformed in one season into a consistent winner under Parcells.
It’s safe to say the Giants and the NFL wouldn’t be the same without The Big Tuna!
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