Bill Parcells, Dallas Cowboys Head Coach, Retires

Bill Parcells, the controversial head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, has officially retired from coaching in the NFL. Parcells spent the last four seasons coaching the Dallas Cowboys, who had a strong start this year lead by practically-a-rookie quarter back Tony Romo, but limped into the playoffs and ultimately lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the first round.

In an e-mail statement - and not a press conference - Parcells stated "I am retiring from coaching football."

"I want to thank Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones for their tremendous support over the last four years," the statement continued. "Also, the players, my coaching staff and others in the support group who have done so much to help. Dallas is a great city and the Cowboys are an integral part of it. I am hopeful that they are able to go forward from here."

Parcells, nicknamed "The Tuna", had coached Dallas to three winning seasons in his tenure there; his previous 16 years included stints with the New York Giants, the New York Jets, and the New England Patriots. He led the Giants to two Super Bowl victories. While coaching the Jets, they reached the AFC Title game. His stint with the Patriots brought them to a Super Bowl appearance. He leaves the NFL with an impressive 183-138-1 record, showing the 9^th most wins in NFL history.

Although success by his definition was tumultuous while coaching Dallas, Parcells seemed to have no regrets about his job there as shown in his e-mail statement.

"I am in good health and feel lucky to have been able to coach in the NFL for an extended period of time," Parcells said. "I leave the game and the NFL with nothing but good feelings and gratitude to all the players, coaches and other people that have assisted me in that regard."

So far, only a brief statement has been released by Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys owner. "His contributions to the game of football and to the NFL are immeasurable," team owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. "We will always be grateful for his dedicated effort and commitment to the Dallas Cowboys."

There was $5 million left in Parcells' coaching contract with the team.