Parcells to fill in??

[Chiefan]

PALM BEACH, Fla. — Sean Payton has regularly sought advice from his mentor, former coach Bill Parcells. The New Orleans Saints coach, who has been suspended for a year because of his role in the team’s prohibited bounty program, might ask for more than just advice from Parcells. He might ask his former boss to fill in for him.

Payton met yesterday with Parcells to see if the former Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys coach would be interested in coaching the Saints until Payton is reinstated. Payton also said he will know within a few days whether he will appeal his suspension. But regardless of who coaches the team in his absence, Payton said he is “100 percent certain” he will be back as coach in 2013.

The decision on Payton’s replacement will include input from him, general manager Mickey Loomis, who was suspended for the first eight games of the 2012 season, and team owner Tom Benson. All of them met with Parcells yesterday.

“We’ve gone through just an early — between Mickey, myself, Mr. Benson — just an early synopsis of what our options would be,” Payton said. “We’ll continue to do that when we get back to Metairie (La.). Fortunately, we feel like we’ve got a number of good candidates.”

Among the in-house candidates who could coach the team in Payton’s absence: offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. Parcells is an intriguing choice, though, and the 70-year-old former coach didn’t completely dismiss the idea in an interview with Newsday on Monday.
___________________________________

Does the Rooney Rule apply here? Honestly, I think it should...Saints might be in even more trouble.