Bill Parcells’ right-hand man on Giants’ Super Bowl-winning teams dies at 84

Former Giants executive Tim Rooney died on Tuesday at age 84 after a short battle with cancer, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Rooney was the nephew of Steelers founder Art Rooney and began working in NFL front offices in 1972. He joined the Giants in 1985 as director of pro personnel and served in that role until 1999. He helped New York to Super Bowl wins in 1986 and 1990 alongside legendary coach Bill Parcells.

“Tim was an invaluable member of our player personnel department for 14 seasons as our director of pro personnel,” Giants owner John Mara said in a statement. “He was an accomplished evaluator. More importantly, he was a great person and colleague. Our thoughts are with Tim’s wife Mary Ann and children and grandchildren and friends, of which there are many.”

Before working in the NFL, Rooney coached at the high school level in the Pittsburgh area and spent time on the coaching staffs at Villanova and Rhode Island.

“He was a great guy,” Parcells told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “When you’re a head coach, you need someone to tell you the truth. Tim was our pro personnel guy, and that was his job. We had daily interaction every day talking about the roster. We had a lot of talks and became close. That enhanced our relationship. He understood me, and I understood him.”