Patriots OK Deal and Hire Belichick

Bill Belichick was hired Thursday as coach of the New England Patriots after New York Jet boss Bill Parcells made a last-ditch phone call to mend fences and grab New England’s top pick in this year’s draft.

The call Wednesday night prodded Patriot owner Bob Kraft to pay the first-round draft choice Parcells had demanded as compensation for letting Belichick out of his contract with the Jets.

“For a No. 1 draft choice, we can bring in a man that I feel certain can do something, rather than the uncertainty of a draft choice,” Kraft said after agreeing with Belichick on a five-year deal. “And it wasn’t even close when I thought about it that way.”

The Patriots will give New York their No. 1 draft pick this year and a fourth- and seventh-rounder in 2001. The Jets gave the Patriots a No. 5 in 2001 and a No. 7 in 2002.

“It resolves a lot of issues . . . and helps Bill get back into coaching, where he wants to be,” Parcells said.

Terms of Belichick’s contract must be finalized. It was not clear whether he would also become general manager.

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Randy Mueller, 38, who as vice president of football operations helped the Seattle Seahawks go from a last-place team to a playoff team, was hired as the New Orleans Saints’ general manager.

The Saints do not have a coach to replace Mike Ditka, fired along with General Manager Bill Kuharich on Jan. 5.

The candidates include Pittsburgh Steeler assistant Jim Haslett, whom Mueller wanted as coach in Seattle before Mike Holmgren became available.

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All-Pro linebacker Derrick Thomas, partially paralyzed but out of intensive care after a traffic accident, is not under contract to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Kansas City Star reported.

The newspaper said that according to information it obtained from the NFL Players Assn., Thomas voided the remaining two seasons on his contract by reaching certain incentives in 1999.

Bob Moore, team director of public relations, said the Chiefs “would do the right thing by Derrick Thomas.”

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The television rating for Sunday’s AFC Championship game was the second-lowest ever and down 13% from last year. Tennessee’s 33-14 victory over Jacksonville on Sunday got a 23.2 rating and a 48 share on CBS, Nielsen Media Research said. Last year’s game, Denver’s 23-10 victory over the New York Jets, got a a 26.6 rating and 48 share. Sunday’s NFC championship, St. Louis’ 11-6 victory over Tampa Bay, got a 26.9 rating and 47 share on Fox, which was the fourth-lowest rated ever. . . . Carolina Panther linebacker Kevin Greene, 37, whose 160 career sacks rank him third in NFL history, retired after 15 seasons. Meanwhile, Panther receiver Muhsin Muhammad, 26, received a five-year contract reportedly worth $22.5 million after catching an NFC-leading 96 passes for 1,253 yards and eight touchdowns. . . . Defensive tackle Shane Dronett, 29, signed a $20-million, five-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons. . . . The Dallas Cowboys’ Deion Sanders will miss the Pro Bowl game because his wife is expecting a baby, and the cornerback will be replaced by the Philadelphia Eagles’ Troy Vincent.