Sean Payton Confirms Interest In Bill Parcells For Saints Interim Job

Roger Goodell Fine With Bill Parcells Coaching Saints

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will not stand in the way if the New Orleans Saints want to hire Bill Parcells to be the interim head coach while Sean Payton serves his one-year suspension for his role in the team's illegal "bounty" program, the Associated Press reports.

"Bill's a great coach, and I'm sure (he) will add a lot of personality and intrigue. And he's as competitive as they get so I'm sure he'll do a good job.

"At the end of the day, these are management decisions that (Saints owner) Tom Benson will have to sign off on," Goodell said at the launch of a pop-up store for NFL apparel in New York City. "He (Benson) will get recommendations from Sean, (Saints general manager) Mickey (Loomis) and others and make his determination. If it ends up being Parcells and they have gone through the full process, it is their decision. They need to make those decisions and we'll move forward."

The full process that Goodell is referring to is compliance with the Rooney Rule, which requires NFL teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and certain front office positions. Because the Saints would be going outside the organization to make an interim hire, they would have to follow that rule, a point Goodell made clear at last week's league meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.

Payton, along with Loomis and assistant head coach/linebackers Joe Vitt, is appealing his suspension. A report over the weekend had the appeal hearing scheduled for Tuesday, but Goodell said an exact date and time was not yet scheduled but believed it would take place later this week.

For more on the Saints' punishment, stay tuned SB Nation's ongoing StoryStream and head over to the Saints blog Canal Street Chronicles.

Sean Payton To Appeal Suspension In Bounty Scandal

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has until April 2 to appeal his year-long suspension from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for the Saints bounty scandal. According to NFL Network's Jason La Canfora, Payton will file that appeal on Friday.

Payton is expected to seek guidance on the amount of time he will have to prepare his appeal, and will attempt to obtain the full reports from NFL security regarding the bounty evidence against him.

Gregg Williams, the former Saints defensive coordinator, has decided not to appeal his indefinite suspension, La Canfora reports.

The appeal likely won't be overturned, in my opinion. Goodell is the one who ruled on the suspension and he's the one who will hear the appeal. It's hard to see how Payton could provide any more evidence that Goodell didn't already have before making the decision on the year-long suspension.

But for a practical matter, the appeal buys Payton more time. He is talking to Bill Parcells about a potential interim head coaching position and, because Payton's suspension won't take effect until after the appeal is heard, this gives him more time to figure out the interim head coach.

There's the issue of the Rooney Rule if the Saints interim head coach comes from outside the organization. According to Pro Football Talk, a league spokesman says the Saints can comply with the Rooney Rule by interviewing a minority candidate on their own staff. That seems like a loophole in the Rooney Rule that would allow the Saints to hire Parcells if they wanted to.

For more on the Saints punishment, stay tuned SB Nation's ongoing StoryStream and head over to the Saints blog Canal Street Chronicles.

Bill Parcells On Saints Head Coaching Job: 'I'll Think It Over'

Bill Parcells confirmed his interest in the New Orleans Saints interim head coaching job in an interview with ESPN's Christ Mortensen on Wednesday, saying he would "think it over" and would be "hypocrite" if he didn't give it some consideration. Parcells and Sean Payton evidently have a strong relationship. With Payton suspended for the upcoming season, Parcells could see taking the job as helping a friend in need.

"If the opportunity presents itself, I'll think it over and clearly I'm in some phase of the process without knowing whether it's going to become a reality," Parcells said. "Sean's become a dear, dear friend. I'm trying to be a friend.

"You know, when I was a young coach, there were people like Chuck Noll, Chuck Knox and Tom Landry who were there for me. I think to honor those guys who helped me, you turn around and pass that legacy on to somebody else and Sean's an example of that. If he needs me and the owner and GM feel the same way, then I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't consider it."

Whether Parcells taking the job would be a good idea is up for some debate. The 70-year-old former head coach isn't considered one to back away from a challenge, however.

For more on Parcells, Payton, Bountygate and the Saints, head over to the SB Nation blog Canal Street Chronicles and stay tuned to our updated StoryStream.

VIDEO: Is Bill Parcells A Good Fit For Saints?

Bill Parcells has met with soon-to-be suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton to discuss coaching the team next season on an interim basis. Parcells certainly has had success running teams before, winning Super Bowls in 1986 and 1990 with the New York Giants, though how his hard-nosed style would fit with the Saints' finesse passing attack isn't clear.

Sports Illustrated's Peter King laid out the reasons why he thinks Parcells should take the Saints job: He'd be taking over a Super Bowl contender, the money's good and if he screws it up, he's out of the job after 10 months anyway. Of course, there could be downsides as well, as Brad Wells points out:

Wells explains that the Saints would be better off bringing someone in who already knows the Saints personnel and system, like current offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. Things get complicated when considering what may happen to Payton once he is able to return, however. A younger coach like Carmichael could put Payton out of a job with a Super Bowl run, whereas Parcells, who will be 72 once the season begins, would likely head back to the broadcast booth no matter how the Saints fare.

A lot of factors play into what looks like a very tough decision facing the Big Tuna. We'll see what happens in the coming days.

For more on Parcells, Payton, Bountygate and the Saints, head over to the SB Nation blog Canal Street Chronicles and stay tuned to our updated StoryStream.

Sean Payton Confirms Interest In Bill Parcells As Saints Interim Head Coach

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton is set to be suspended for one year on April 1 and, while it was previously assumed that a member of his current coaching staff would replace him, there's now some talk that Bill Parcells could take the interim position for a year.

Parcells was vague when asked if Payton has approached him about the interim job, just saying that the two have talked. At the NFL owners meeting on Tuesday morning, Payton confirmed to reporters that there is interest in having Parcells coach the team while he's out.

"He's a great teacher," he said. "Certainly I'm biased, having worked with him. But he's a Hall of Fame head coach. And I would also say there are some things probably set up within the framework of our program that would be exactly how he would have set things up had he been the head coach here back in '06. So there is some carryover that way."

ESPN reported that Payton and Saints GM Mickey Loomis are scheduled to meet with Parcells on Tuesday to discuss a potential role and gauge his interest.

The Saints would have to adhere to the Rooney Rule in the instance they hire someone like Parcells, outside the organization. That would require the team to interview a minority candidate, which would be a difficult task if Parcells is in the picture.

Payton could also appeal his suspension, which would give him more time to make a decision on the interim coach. Roger Goodell, the man who levied the suspension, would also hear the appeal, so the chances of it being overturned probably aren't very good.

For more on the possibility of Parcells joining the Saints, visit Canal Street Chronicles.

Bill Parcells Denies Sean Payton Offered Saints' Interim Coaching Job

Bill Parcells admits to speaking with Sean Payton about the New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal but denied reports that he's been asked to step in as an interim replacement, the retired coach told Sports Illustrated's Peter King on Monday afternoon.

"Sean Payton and I know each other well, and he has sought my counsel about his situation with the Saints," Parcells said. "He has told me a little bit about the team, about the situation they're in, and about the players. But that is it.''

Parcells also denied having the urge to get back into the game. "Do I have the bug?'' he said before pausing. "I don't think so.''

That said, this doesn't completely eliminate the chance that Parcells will return to coaching for the first time since 2006. As King notes, Payton has not yet decided whether he will appeal his season-long suspension, and if he is able to have the punishment reduced, it's possible Parcells may consider a shorter return to coaching more appealing. And even if Parcells doesn't have "the bug," it's also possible his friend Payton still may be able to coax him into doing so.

Stay tuned, because even though it doesn't look likely now, anything is possible until the Saints officially announce their intentions.

For more on the possibility of Parcells joining the Saints, visit Canal Street Chronicles.

Bill Parcells, Sean Payton To Meet This Week About Saints Head Coaching Job, According To Report

The idea of Bill Parcells becoming the New Orleans Saints interim head coach during Sean Payton's one-year suspension apparently has some legs. According to Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com, Payton and Parcells are meeting in Florida this week to discuss the possibility of Parcells becoming the Saints interim head coach in Payton's absence.

Payton is in Palm Beach, Fla. at the NFL owners meetings this week.

ESPN initially reported that Payton had reached out to Parcells with the idea. It's not clear if owner Tom Benson or GM Mickey Loomis were told of the reported discussions.

One potential hang-up would be that, because Parcells is coming from outside the organization, the Saints would have to adhere to the Rooney Rule, which would require them to interview one minority candidate. It would be difficult to get a minority candidate to interview for a job that they clearly wouldn't have a shot at getting.

Parcells and Payton have history dating back to their time together with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003-05 when Parcells was the head coach. Parcells has been a mentor to Payton since he left the game.

Parcells may also have his Hall of Fame candidacy affected if he took the job. He was eligible earlier this year, but didn't get in. Returning to the NFL, however, may re-start the clock on his five-year wait.

For more on the possibility of Parcells joining the Saints, visit Canal Street Chronicles.

Bill Parcells, Sean Payton Have Talked About Saints Head Coaching Job, According To Report

In a twist to the Saints scandal, a report states that coach Sean Payton has talked with Bill Parcells about potentially assuming a role as interim head coach.