Contrary to some perceptions, Bill Parcells said he enjoyed his four seasons coaching the Dallas Cowboys and that Jerry Jones is a good owner to work with.
Parcells said the impression of Jones constantly overruling his head coach is a wrong one. Parcells made the comments to dallascowboys.com, and later echoed them to other media outlets as he prepares for his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.
"Oh yeah, definitely. I think it's distorted," Parcells told the Cowboys' official website. "I think there's a definite misperception. I just think everyone thinks things are a certain way. I didn't see it to be that way.
"I think Jerry is a good businessman and a good listener. What you have to do is make sense to him. You've got to make sense to him. If he thinks you're making sense, he'll alter his opinion. I enjoyed him. I like him. I like him a lot."
Parcells said he Jones are "pretty good friends" and they still talk occasionally.
"And I'm close with Stephen [Jones], too," said Parcells, who coach the Cowboys for four seasons, 2003-06. "I enjoyed working there with the Joneses. They were supportive and tried to help."
While the football marriage of Parcells and Jerry Jones would seem like a clash of enormous egos, Parcells said he appreciated working for an owner with Jones' enthusiasm.
"I knew he had a lot of passion for his work and his job and his organization," Parcells said. "I could name a few organizations I don't feel that about. The owner is just blasé about 'If we win, good; if we don't that's all right.'
"But Jerry isn't like that. You want to be somewhere where it's important to the people and certainly it's a high-profile franchise without question…I think they're a good group. I think they're passionate. I think they're trying to be successful in the business. Hey, that's all a coach can ask for."
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