Bill Parcells to enter Patriots Hall of Fame as a contributor

Bill Parcells will enter the Patriots Hall of Fame as a contributor, team owner Robert Kraft announced Tuesday at the NFL owners’ meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.

Parcells, who was the Patriots coach from 1993-96 and helped lift the franchise out of the NFL’s lowest ranks, has been a finalist for the honor for five years.

“I thought it would be great given what he’s done for the team if he would accept entry as a contributor into the Patriots Hall of Fame,” Kraft told reporters Tuesday.

Kraft bought the team in 1994, and that year, Parcells guided the Patriots to a 10-6 record and their first playoff game in eight years.

In 1996, he led the Patriots to their first division title in 11 years, and the Patriots went all the way to Super Bowl XXXI, where they lost to the Packers, 35–21.

“He was a master motivator and always got the most out of his players,” Kraft said in a statement.

After that season, Parcells left the club unceremoniously, jumping to become head coach of the New York Jets.

He was seeking more control over football decisions, leading to a falling out with Kraft. In his farewell press conference, Parcells famously said: “They want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries. OK?”

Parcells was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013 as the only coach ever to lead four different NFL teams to the playoffs.

Parcells, 83, was a five-time finalist for the Patriots’ Hall of Fame, and Kraft (also 83) said in a statement he was “sure” the former coach would be voted in “eventually,” but he wanted to expedite the process in order to hold the ceremony while both he and Parcells are still alive.