Bill Parcells never has forgotten how, as a young coach, he was mentored by some NFL legends.

That’s why the hall of fame coach has made it a point to do the same for others, including Vikings coach Mike Zimmer. A relationship that started when Zimmer was Parcells’ defensive coordinator in Dallas from 2003-06 continues to this day.

Since Zimmer became the Vikings’ head coach in 2014, Parcells, 74, has done what he can to help him, calling or texting with advice nearly every week.

“The legacy is those that follow,” Parcells said. “That’s what’s important to me, and (Zimmer) is one that has followed, and that’s why I’m rooting for him so hard to do well.

“I had some people in the business that helped me when I was a young coach, and that was very important to me in enabling me to go forward in the profession — Al Davis, Chuck Knox, Tom Landry.”

Parcells, who coached the New York Giants to Super Bowl wins after the 1986 and 1990 seasons, joined Davis and Landry in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013. Knox was named named Coach of the Year with three different teams, the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks.

Three of Parcells’ former assistants have won Super Bowls as head coaches: New England’s Bill Belichick (4), the New York Giants’ Tom Coughlin (2) and New Orleans’ Sean Payton (1). Now, he’s doing what he can to help Zimmer get to that level.

Heading into Sunday’s game against Chicago at TCF Bank Stadium, Zimmer is 15-14 in two seasons, and he has the 8-5 Vikings on the verge of making the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

“I have a high regard for Mike,” Parcells said. “I think he’s doing a very good job in Minnesota. They’ve got an opportunity to get into the playoffs, and once you get in, it’s anybody’s game. I think it would be a very, very good accomplishment for the Vikings and Mike.”

Zimmer, 59, has spoken openly about bringing the first Super Bowl win to Minnesota, and even has had shirts made for coaches and players that read, “Be The First!”

One of Zimmer’s motivations is to please his mentor.

“He probably taught me more about the game of football than most of the coaches I’ve been around, just his experience, the way he handles a team, the way he handles individuals, the way he handled me,” Zimmer said. “I want to make him proud for the job that I do.”

‘A GUY I COULD WORK WITH’

When Parcells arrived in Dallas for what would be his final NFL coaching stint, he already was a legend. In addition to his success with the Giants, he had steered the Patriots to the Super Bowl after the 1996 season, and he took a New York Jets team that was 1-15 in 1996 to the AFC championship game two years later.

When Parcells joined, Zimmer had been with the Cowboys for nine years as an assistant, but the two had never met. After three years as the defensive coordinator, Zimmer essentially had to re-interview for his job.

“The people in the organization had spoken pretty highly of him,” Parcells said. “I think I just got a sense that he might be a guy that I could work with.”

Zimmer remembers vividly the interview. It was in January 2003, shortly after Dave Campo had been fired as head coach.

“It was on a Saturday, and I was working out and he left me a note on my desk to come in and see him,” Zimmer said. “We sat down and I said basically, ‘Do you want to know anything about me?’ He said, ‘No, I pretty much know about you.’ Then we talked for a little bit, and he said, ‘Well, you’re free to look for a job,’ and I said, ‘OK.’ ”

Parcells told him it might be a few weeks before he made his decision, and Zimmer told him he would be taking a hunting trip that weekend to Arkansas.

“He said, ‘Have a good time,’ ” Zimmer said. “When I got down to the place, he called me and said, ‘Do you want to work here?’ I said, ‘Yeah,’ and he hired me. He said, ‘I just want to make sure you want to be here, No. 1, and No. 2, I didn’t want to spoil your weekend.’ ”

Zimmer concluded his hunting trip and then went to work for Parcells. It didn’t take long for the defensive coordinator to win over his new boss.

THE PARCELLS TEMPLATE

“He’s very workmanlike; he’s very dedicated,” Parcells said. “He likes football very much. Football is very important to him. He takes pride in his players performing well. He’s a beaver. He really is, and I like beavers.”

The Cowboys ranked No. 1 in total defense and second in points allowed in 2003, and it wasn’t long during that first season together that Parcells gave Zimmer nearly total control of the defense.

While Zimmer’s preference has been the 4-3 scheme, he was asked to switch to Parcells’ preferred 3-4. Greg Ellis, a defensive end and linebacker on those teams, said it was a smooth transition.

“Bill got real comfortable with Zim running his defense,” Ellis said. “I think he paid a lot of attention to Zim, and I think that he saw that Zim had what it takes to be a head coach. I do remember him saying that one day he was going to be a head coach.”

It took seven years after Parcells retired in January 2007 for that to happen. Zimmer was defensive coordinator in Atlanta for one season, and in Cincinnati for six before getting hired to run the Vikings in 2014.

Parcells was one of the people Vikings general manager Rick Spielman consulted during the hiring process.

Zimmer brought Ellis to Eden Prairie this year for a June minicamp, and to Mankato for a week of training camp to work with Vikings pass rushers. So what did Ellis see that reminded him of Dallas practices under Parcells?

“Everything,” Ellis said. “It’s really just the toughness mentality of it. Zim and Bill both have a special way to get the most out of their players and are able to gain the respect of their players. Players want to bust their butt for both of them.”

During training camp, Zimmer got so mad at his players that he stopped practice and made everyone run, something Parcells did in Dallas.

LONG-DISTANCE ADVICE

Parcells never misses watching a Vikings game on television, usually at his home in South Florida. Later, he’ll offer Zimmer a critique.

“When I have questions, I’ll call him, (but) he usually texts me every week and then sometimes we’ll have a phone conversation,” Zimmer said. “It’s good because he has a different perspective for not being right in here, and he has been through these things. … It’s nice to have somebody to bounce ideas off, a guy that has been in this position.”

Parcells touched base with Zimmer after one of his toughest defeats, a 38-7 loss to Seattle on Dec. 6. Knowing the Vikings would face a tough foe just four days later at Arizona, Parcells offered some advice.

“You can only lose a game once,” Parcells said. “That was my message. No matter what the score was, you can only lose once; try not to let that loss be the enemy of the next week. And I think he did a good job of getting his team to play well (in the 23-20 defeat at Arizona) after that bad loss (to Seattle). I do think that was very, very recognizable improvement.”

Parcells has passed on plenty of other messages. When the Vikings were hot early, he sent this text: “Don’t take the cheese.”

That’s a Parcells saying, meaning don’t get trapped by your own confidence. While in Dallas, Parcells actually placed mouse traps throughout the locker room, something Zimmer apparently has yet to do.

“Zim uses (Parcells sayings) quite a bit,” said Vikings cornerback Terence Newman, who played for Parcells and Zimmer in Dallas from 2003-06.

Zimmer said other favorites include “Dumb players do dumb things” and “There’s a lot of exit doors in football, don’t take one of them.”

Parcells has yet to see Zimmer in person since he has been with the Vikings. He said he’s content to remain in South Florida, watching the games on television and dealing with Zimmer by phone.

Zimmer, though, has other ideas. He wants to bring his mentor to Minnesota.

“I’d like to get him up at training camp sometime and help evaluate the team, and things that he has had other people do as I’ve watched him,” Zimmer said.

Follow Chris Tomasson at twitter.com/christomasson.