Early Life
Parcells was born in Englewood, New Jersey, on August 22, 1941. He grew up in the nearby town of Hasbrouck Heights, His mother, Ida Parcells (née Naclerio), was a housewife while his father, Charles Parcells, was a graduate of Georgetown Law School who had worked for the FBI before becoming a lawyer for Uniroyal Tires. Bill Parcells is of Irish and Italian descent.
Prior to his sophomore year in high school, the Parcells family moved a few miles north to the town of Oradell, where he attended River Dell Regional High School. While he was at River Dell, he was routinely mistaken for another boy named Bill. As he had always disliked his given name of Duane, he decided to adopt Bill as his nickname.
Parcells was a gifted athlete as a youth. He possessed good size (6'2" upon entering River Dell) and natural leadership skills, which enabled him to become a star quarterback, pitcher, and center on his high school's football, baseball, and basketball teams, respectively. His football coach at River Dell was Tom Cahill, who would later become the head coach at Army. His basketball coach at River Dell was Mickey Corcoran who Parcells considers to be "next to my father ... the most important influence in my life." Corcoran would serve Parcells as an advisor and confidant throughout his coaching career.
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