Pete Carroll Out as Seahawks Coach After 14 Seasons
After 14 seasons, 10 playoff appearances, and a Super Bowl championship, Pete Carroll is no longer the coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The team owner made the decision for the best interest of the franchise.
Carroll's Departure
After 14 seasons, 10 playoff appearances, and the franchise's lone Super Bowl championship, Pete Carroll is out as the Seattle Seahawks' coach. Team owner Jody Allen said in a statement Wednesday that the decision was made "after thoughtful meetings and careful consideration for the best interest of the franchise." Carroll will remain with the team in an unspecified advisory role.
In an emotional farewell news conference Wednesday, Carroll, reading from a prepared statement, said he and ownership have "mutually agreed to set a new course." However, he said he "competed pretty hard" to remain Seattle's coach and that he ultimately "went along with their intentions." Carroll said his comments after the Seahawks' season finale that he wanted to continue coaching the team were "true to the bone."
Potential Replacements
The Seahawks are expected to be interested in, among others, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Quinn served as a Seahawks assistant from 2009 to 2010 and was their defensive coordinator from 2013 to 2014.
The role change comes after Carroll said in his postgame news conference Sunday, and reiterated Monday in a radio interview, that he intended to return as coach for the 2024 season.
Carroll's Legacy
Carroll exits as the winningest coach in Seahawks history, with a record of 137-89-1 and 10 playoff victories. Including his head-coaching stints with the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, his career record of 181-131-1 puts him 13th in NFL history in regular-season and playoff wins. Along with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, Carroll is one of only three coaches to win both a college national championship and a Super Bowl.
The Seahawks lured him away from USC in 2010 with the promise of final say in personnel moves, something he didn't have in either of his two previous head-coaching stops. Carroll, who also held the title of executive vice president of football operations, teamed with Schneider to lead the Seahawks through their most successful run in franchise history. Seattle's 10 playoff appearances since 2010 matched the number of times the Seahawks had reached the postseason in their 34 years of existence before Carroll and Schneider arrived.
