Parcells Landed 'Big Tuna' Nickname While Coaching in New England

It was great to see Bill "The Big Tuna" Parcells back in Foxborough recently. Coach Parcells and legendary receiver Julian Edelman were enshrined in the New England Patriots Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 20, 2025.

Parcells coached New England from 1993 to 1997, when he left to join the New York Jets and then later went the Dallas Cowboys. Parcells previously coached the New York Giants, where he won his only two Super Bowl titles.

When Parcells led the New England Patriots to Super Bowl XXXI in 1996, it was with a ragtag troop of players and only the second time the team had been to the big dance. It didn't go so well, and things went downhill from there.

The End for Parcells in New England

The Patriots were defeated by the Green Bay Packers 35-21 in New Orleans on Sunday, January 26, 1997. Soon after, Parcells departed the team after a public squabble with the relatively new team owner Robert Kraft. Reports were he already had a foot out the door before the Super Bowl.

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Pats' Previous Super Bowl Heartbreak

On Sunday, January 26, 1986, the Pats, then led by head coach Raymond Berry, made their first Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XX. They faced the Chicago Bears, also in New Orleans. The Bears crushed the Patriots, 46-10.

When Parcells led the Pats back to New Orleans in 1997, fans sincerely thought they had a chance to win.

How Parcells Became "The Big Tuna"

Patriots fans with long memories will remember when Bill Parcells served as linebackers coach for the New England Patriots in 1980. That is when he picked up the nickname "The Big Tuna."

CantonRep.com reported, "Parcells thought a player was loafing it in a drill and yelled, 'Who do you think I am? Charlie Tuna?'" The reference was to cartoon character Charlie the Tuna, pitchman for StarKist canned tuna.

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Parcells' real first name is Duane. "Bill" and "Chubby" were nicknames picked up in the school yard.

Parcells and the Pats Both Have Success

"The Big Tuna" coached 19 years in the NFL and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Of course, the Patriots went on to establish a dynasty, winning six Super Bowl championships with quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick, a former Parcells assistant coach and coordinator.