Giants’ Parcells Expected to Resign

Bill Parcells, who coached the New York Giants to two Super Bowl championships, is resigning today, with offensive coordinator Ray Handley favored to be his replacement, according to published reports.

The Boston Globe and the New York Daily News, citing sources close to the club, said Parcells has informed General Manager George Young that he will not honor the final year of his contract. The Globe said the Giants will make an announcement today.

The Globe said Parcells, whose team beat Buffalo in this year’s Super Bowl, could have received a three-year extension worth more than $1 million. He was being paid $750,000 in the final year of a five-year contract signed after the Giants beat Denver in the 1987 Super Bowl.

Handley, elevated last winter from running backs coach, was the “odds-on” choice, the newspaper said.

Handley neither confirmed nor denied an impending change.

“I can’t help you on this,” he told the Associated Press on Tuesday night.

When asked about reports that he would succeed Parcells, he said: “I’ve been reading that for a couple of months now.”

Attempts by the AP to reach Young on Tuesday night were unsuccessful. Young’s wife said he was attending a dinner and would not be back until late in the evening.

Parcells, reportedly being wooed by NBC as a pro football analyst, could not reached for comment. A representative in the office of Parcells’ agent, Robert Fraley, would not confirm the report.

Parcells, who has an 85-52-1 record, reportedly has auditioned with NBC Sports as a football analyst.

The New York Times, quoting a source identified only as having seen an audition tape, reported last month that Parcells teamed with play-by-play man Don Criqui several weeks earlier.

“Is that what I did?” Parcells told the newspaper when asked about the report. “I don’t have any comment on it.”

The Globe said Parcells has not negotiated a TV contract and has no specific plans. It said he would not coach, however, and had not negotiated with any other teams.

“If I do decide, it will be because I have reached the conclusion that it is time for me to do something else with my life,” Parcells told a friend the Globe did not identify. “It is time to find another challenge.”

The Globe said Parcells’ relationship with Young, reported to have been less than warm for several years, did not figure in his decision to quit.

“George has been no problem for me,” Parcells was quoted as telling friends. “He has been very supportive.

“Whenever I asked him to do something to help me out, he went out and tried to get that done.”

The departure of Parcells would complete a revamping of the coaching staff. Included was the promotion of offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt to assistant head coach.