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Pete Carroll is the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, a team that is shaping up to be one of the most dominant of its era. Carroll transformed the Seahawks into a relevant franchise and his team hosts the NFC championship for the second consecutive year this Sunday at 3:05 p.m. ET against the Green Bay Packers.
Here’s what you need to know about Seattle’s coach:
1. He’s Coached the Seahawks Since 2010
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After an 11-year absence from the NFL, Carroll returned in 2010 to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. In his first season, the Seahawks won the NFC West division with a 7-9 record. Written off as a mediocre team in a weak division, the Seahawks hosted the 11-5 defending champion New Orleans Saints and won 41-36, making it the first time in NFL history that a team under .500 won a playoff game. The game is also famous for Marshawn Lynch’s 67 yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, better known as the “Beast Quake.”
2. Carroll Coached at USC From 2000-2009
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After a few unsuccessful seasons in the NFL in the 90s, Carroll went back to college to become the head coach of the USC Trojans. Carroll’s tenure was unforgettable for many Trojan and college football fans. The Trojans developed three Heisman trophy winners — Reggie Bush, Carson Palmer, and Matt Leinart — and won two national championships during his time with the team. Winning back-to-back national championships, USC won 34 straight games before that streak ended against Texas in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
Despite the decade of dominance, the NCAA vacated the accomplishments like the national championships and Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy due to Bush accepting gifts from agents.
3. He was the Head Coach of the Jets and Patriots, Too
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Carroll spent the majority of the 80s as a defensive backs coach in the NFL. After earning a defensive coordinator position with the New York Jets, they promoted Carroll to the head coaching position in 1994. At 6-5, the Jets lost to the Miami Dolphins, a game remembered for Dan Marino’s fake spike play. The Jets collapsed and lost the remaining games on their schedule, finishing 6-10. He did not return.
After his firing and a brief defensive coordinator stint with the San Francisco 49ers, Carroll took a position as the head coach of the Jets’ division rival, the New England Patriots. He achieved more with the Patriots then the Jets, winning the AFC East in 1997 and earning a wildcard spot in 1998. In 1997, the Patriots lost in the divisional matchup against the Steelers and lost in the opening round in 1998.
After failing to make a playoff appearance in 1999, the Patriots fired Carroll.
4. Pete Carroll has 3 Children and 1 Grandchild
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Carroll and his wife Glena have three grown children, two sons and one daughter: Brennan, Jamie, and Nathan. Brennan and his wife Amber are the parents of Carroll’s grandson, Dillon Brennan Carroll.
5. Carroll is the 3rd Oldest Head Coach to Win the Super Bowl
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When Pete Carroll won the Super Bowl in 2014 he was 62, making him the third oldest coach to win it.
The only coaches to win a Super Bowl when they were older are New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin in Super Bowl XLVI when he was 65 and St. Louis Rams coach Dick Vermeil in Super Bowl XXXIV when he was 63.
