In somewhat shocking news, the great Pete Carroll will no longer be the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The dust has yet to even settle, but Seahawks ownership did come out and say that Carroll would remain with the organization as an “advisor.”
What kind of “advisor” and how involved he will be remains to be seen. What we can infer, based on his press conference, is that he sounds like he may not be done coaching in some capacity.
With all of the NFL coaching vacancies, I would not be shocked if a few reached out to Carroll to gauge his interest. He is still a great coach and, clearly, has plenty of energy at 72 years old.
However, there is a glaring opportunity that would work out great for all parties.
Should The USC Trojans Bring Back Pete Carroll In Some Capacity?
Give Pete Carroll a role with the USC Football program.
Now before anyone starts to get crazy, this is Lincoln Riley’s team. We are in a new era of College Football and Lincoln Riley was hired to bring this program into the future while honoring the past traditions of greatness that the USC Trojans are known for. A greatness that reached its peak under Pete Carroll.
Riley is a football coach through and through. He loves ball, x’s and o’s, and his players. I think it’s fair to say that he could do without all the media hoopla, the booster dinners, the NIL fundraising, kissing babies, etc. That is not to say that he hasn’t embraced most of this, and has continued to improve with a desire to put USC at the forefront of excellence in every area. But it’s not his passion.
Here is the opportunity.
Let Riley focus solely on what he does best. Recruiting and coaching. Bring in the legendary Pete Carroll in an advisory/leadership role to be the mouthpiece. Just think about how much NIL money would roll in with Carroll back in the building.
The obvious challenge is that since Pete Carroll left USC for Seattle, his relationship with the university has been pretty much non-existent. But that can change, for two reasons.
When Lincoln Riley was first hired, he put a real emphasis on getting past players and alumni more involved. This can probably be expanded even more, but that was a touch point that he found value in and legendary players like Frostee Rucker have been very involved with the program (specifically in the NIL space) since Riley arrived in Los Angeles. He can now extend this to Pete Carroll.
The other piece is new Athletic Director Jen Cohen. Cohen was formerly the Athletic Director at the University of Washington, a position she held from 2016-2023. However, she joined the university all the way back in 1998, even before Pete Carroll joined USC. During all the time in the same city, you have to think they have met a few times. The Seahawks even played at Husky Stadium during the 2000 and 2001 NFL seasons. I’m sure Ms. Cohen has brushed shoulders with many people inside the Seahawks building, and Pete Carroll was undoubtedly one of them.
It’s a long shot but never say never. It’s time Pete Carroll comes home.
What do you think? Vote below and let us know your thoughts and if the USC Trojans should bring back Coach Carroll, and if so, in what kind of capacity? It would certainly be an interesting and unprecedented move, but the current state of college football is unprecedented so why not embrace the chaos?