Return to respectability (1997–2014) Bill Parcells era Hess and team president Gutman agreed on a top candidate as new coach — Patriots coach Bill Parcells, who had won two Super Bowls with the Giants and was in the process of taking the Patriots there as well. Parcells believed that he could void his contract and seek a position elsewhere; New England owner Robert Kraft believed the Patriots would be entitled to compensation. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue ruled in the Patriots' favor, and New England demanded the Jets give them the first pick overall in the upcoming draft. The Jets responded by hiring Parcells disciple Bill Belichick as head coach; Parcells was to serve as a "consultant" in 1997 and head coach beginning in 1998. The Patriots were unimpressed by what they saw as a subterfuge, and Tagliabue mediated the matter. He set Parcells free from the Patriots; the Jets gave the Patriots four draft picks, including their first round pick in 1999. The Jets put an end to Belichick's six-day reign (he remained as assistant head coach and as defensive coordinator) and hired Parcells as head coach. The Parcells era started with a 41–3 victory over Seattle. The Jets were 9–6 in their first fifteen games and went into the season finale against the Detroit Lions needing a win to make the playoffs. Parcells, who never had full confidence in O'Donnell, benched him in favor of Ray Lucas after O'Donnell threw an early interception. Lucas was ineffective as well, as the Jets lost 13–10. The eight-game improvement in the standings, together with Parcells' reputation as a winner, caused high expectations for 1998. The team announced that it would adopt a modified version of the Jets' 1963–1977 logo and uniforms beginning in the 1998 season. Parcells signed Patriots running back Curtis Martin as a restricted free agent, giving up 1st- and 3rd-round picks. Parcells also signed Baltimore Ravens quarterback Vinny Testaverde as a free agent, which paved the way for O'Donnell's release from the team. After an 0–2 start, New York won six of the next seven games. The Jets lost only once the rest of the way, and clinched their first NFL division crown against the Bills on December 19, 1998. They set a franchise record for the number of victories in a season with a win over the Patriots in the season finale. The team finished 12–4 and were