With each new comment he makes, Bill Parcells sounds a little more likely to be the head coach of the Saints for the 2012 season.
In yet another interview (for a guy who often expresses contempt for the press, Parcells sure does do a lot of talking when reporters want to write stories about how he could save a team’s season) on Wednesday, Parcells told Bob Glauber of Newsday that he’s open to taking the job as a favor to his good friend Sean Payton, who is suspended for the 2012 season.
“If this guy says to me, ‘Bill, I need you to do this,’” Parcells said of Payton, “That’s what friends are supposed to be for.”
Glauber wrote on Twitter that after the interview, he’s convinced Parcells will take the Saints job if he’s asked.
Parcells framed the opportunity to coach the Saints as the opportunity to help a friend in need.
“The thing with this one,” he said, “it’s a little more personal to me, because this is one of my guys.”
Parcells could do Payton a twofold favor: First, Parcells can take care of Payton’s team in his absence. And second, Parcells can step away in 10 months when Payton’s suspension is over. That’s a favor that Payton can’t be sure any other candidate for the interim head coaching job would do for him, because if a Saints assistant gets the interim job and takes the Saints to the Super Bowl, Saints owner Tom Benson might fire Payton and keep the assistant on a permanent basis. So it’s easy to see why Payton would choose Parcells as his interim replacement. And if Benson lets Payton choose his interim replacement, Parcells sounds ready to accept.