Bill Parcells

Parcells quit the Giants after that Super Bowl, worked the broadcast booth for two years and had heart surgery. Then, New England owner James Orthwein beckoned Parcells. Taking over in 1993 a team in disarray and rumored to be moving out of town, Parcells rebuilt it around quarterback Drew Bledsoe, whom he drafted out of Washington State. The Patriots made the playoffs in 1994, Parcells' second year; two years later they played in Super Bowl XXXI, losing 35-21 to the Green Bay Packers.

But Parcells' tenure there was stormy. Bob Kraft purchased the team from Orthwein, kept it in New England, and feuded with Parcells over personnel decisions. "If they want you to cook the dinner," Parcells said, "at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries."

Kraft overruled Parcells in the 1996 draft, siding with personnel director Bobby Grier's preference for Ohio State wide receiver Terry Glenn. In training camp that year, Parcells referred to Glenn as "she" at a press conference, incurring the wrath of women's groups. That Kraft's wife, Myra, entered the fray, calling Parcells' comment "disgraceful," reflected the rift between Parcells and the owner. After the Super Bowl, Parcells did not fly back to New England with the team. A week later, Parcells accepted an offer from the New York Jets, who had to surrender four draft choices to the Patriots.