“This place has a place in my heart. Sometimes, you reflect on things, and you wish you would have done things a little differently,” Parcells said, looking around the plaza that was packed with fans and well-wishers.
“When I come back here and I see this, I wish I would have done things a little differently.”
Parcells, who is the only coach in NFL history to ever lead four teams to the playoffs and three teams to a conference championship game, was nominated for the Patriots Hall of Fame five times (2011, 2012, 2014, 2020, and 2023) by the nomination committee, but always fell short when it came to fan voting.
This past spring, Kraft stepped in and named Parcells to the Hall of Fame as a contributor. In introducing Parcells Saturday, Kraft listed his many achievements and credited him as the one who helped instill a championship culture in New England.
“Bill made the players believe, he made the fans believe, and he made me believe. Bill built a culture. He mentored players and coaches who would go on to shape the NFL. He laid the groundwork for the dynasty that followed,” Kraft said.
Parcells coached the Patriots for four seasons (1993-96) and led the team to two playoff berths and an AFC championship. But after clashing with Kraft, he decided to leave to coach the Jets. On his way out the door, he lamented not having more control over personnel in Foxborough.
“If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries,” Parcells said.
The departure sparked a legal battle, one that ended with then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue brokering a settlement between the Patriots and Jets that allowed the coach to take the reins in New York. In the end, the Jets got Parcells, and had to give New England their first-round draft choice in 1999, a second-rounder in 1998, and third- and fourth-round picks in 1997, plus $300,000 to the Patriots’ charitable foundation.
That was all in the past on Saturday. Kraft embraced Parcells when he was introduced, and the two made pleasant conversation on stage throughout the afternoon.
Parcells recalled starting his NFL career as an assistant with the Patriots in 1980, and working with general manager Bucko Kilroy and director of college scouting Mike Holovak, who taught him “every single aspect of personnel acquisition in the NFL.”
“Occasionally, they would put a test on my desk. It would have 10 questions,” he recalled with a smile. “And when the test came back, if I had an answer wrong, it had a red check on it, like I was in fourth grade. But it was invaluable.
“I’ve got to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, I couldn’t have come to a better place.”
After his speech, Parcells was joined on stage by several of his former players, including Willie McGinest and Ted Johnson, as well as former assistant coach Dante Scarnecchia, who shared some of their favorite stories.
“His way of connecting with players was unmatched,” said Johnson, recalling driving to practice with Parcells.
McGinest drew laughs when he told a story of when he was a younger player, and had an issue with the heat during one training camp practice. After a trip to the hospital, he was awakened by a team ball boy who said Parcells expected him back on the field for the second practice session of the day.
“It didn’t matter if you were the first pick or you were an undrafted free agent,” McGinest said. “Everybody was treated the same. Everybody [got] the same respect. And everybody was held accountable.”
While the walk down memory lane was fun for all involved, it was the public mending of fences that was the biggest takeaway.
“Over the years, we’ve mellowed,” Kraft said, turning to face the former coach. “We have shared stories. But thank you for the fight, thank you for the foundation, and thank you for the many contributions you made to this franchise.”
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social.
