Bill Parcells and Saints: New Orleans Would Get Perfect Fit with Bill Parcells

It was unexpected and has come on fast, but discussion about Bill Parcells coaching the New Orleans Saints in 2012 is starting to gain steam. 

According to Mike Triplett of The Times-Picayune, the idea of Parcells taking over for Sean Payton, who the league suspended for the season for his role in a three-year bounty program, is beginning to "heat up."

But is bringing the Hall of Fame coach to New Orleans a good fit? And would it be an upgrade over other options the Saints may have right now? Let's take a closer look.

The fit appears to be a natural one, as Parcells and Payton worked together for several years in Dallas and have maintained a close relationship since going their separate ways. The communication between them over the last several days has been a driving point for putting Parcells in New Orleans for 2012.

The structure of New Orleans' organization is also very similar to the one Parcells put together with the Cowboys, so there wouldn't be a lot of changes (or any at all) that would need to be made for Parcells to function with the Saints.

But would he be an upgrade over someone already on the Saints' staff, such as offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael or defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo?

Triplett thinks so, and I tend to agree with him. 

As he pointed out in the above-referenced story, the Saints don't like the idea of changing the job title of either Carmichael or Spagnuolo. 

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Payton suggested Tuesday that the Saints prefer to keep offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in their roles. Promoting either one of them could be even more disruptive than bringing someone in from the outside.

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Carmichael has been one of the driving forces for the Saints' record-breaking offense, and it's possible his effectiveness as a coordinator could be negatively affected by taking on the hardships of the top job, even if just for a year.

Spagnuolo has experience being the top guy, as he spent the last three seasons as the St. Louis Rams' head coach. But he's likely cherishing the relative ambiguity of a defensive coordinator role, where he can simply focus on the side of the football he's good at coaching.

By throwing Parcells into that equation, the Saints get a guy who has embraced being the lightning rod of a football team, while also keeping both Carmichael and Spagnuolo comfortable in their current roles.

And let's be perfectly honest here: Do the Saints want to risk a season in which they still have a Super Bowl quality roster, with quarterback Drew Brees still deep into his prime, on one man (Carmichael) who has never been a head coach in the NFL or another (Spagnuolo) who bombed his opportunity with St. Louis?

Or would placing Parcells, one of the league's most respected football minds and a Hall of Fame head coach, be the better option?

The answer seems pretty cut and dry to me.