Sean Payton Confirms Interest In Bill Parcells For Saints Interim Job

”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.”

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.

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.

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.

“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.”

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.