Pete Carroll

Current Seattle Seahawks head coach and former USC head coach[10]

What is Pete Carroll known for?

Pete Carroll, born September 15, 1951, in San Francisco, California, is an acclaimed American football coach, currently serving as the head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League (NFL). Prior to this role, Carroll coached the USC Trojans from 2001 to 2009, where he led the team to back-to-back National Championships in 2003 and 2004.

Carroll's career as a football coach is both diverse and distinguished, with significant contributions at both the college and professional levels. After serving in various capacities at several institutions and teams including Pacific, Arkansas, Iowa State, and Ohio State, he took on his first NFL coaching assignments with the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings. He later served as the head coach for the New York Jets in 1994 and the New England Patriots from 1997 to 1999.

Despite these early struggles in the NFL, Carroll achieved remarkable success in college football. When he took over as head coach at USC, he completely revitalized the program, transforming it into a top-ranked contender. His success at USC catapulted him back to the NFL in 2010, when he was appointed head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

Under Carroll's leadership, the Seahawks have qualified for the playoffs nine times, clinched their division five times, and made two consecutive Super Bowl appearances, winning the franchise's first championship in Super Bowl XLVIII. Notably, Carroll's "Legion of Boom" defense led the league in scoring defense for four consecutive seasons.

Carroll stands out even among elite coaches, as he is one of only four head coaches to win a college football national championship and an NFL championship.

Carroll's career statistics highlight his successful coaching career, with a regular-season record of 161-112-1 in the NFL and an NCAA record of 83-19. He has been recognized for his efforts with numerous awards, including the Super Bowl championship, NFL 2010s All-Decade Team, two National Championships, four Rose Bowl victories, two Orange Bowl victories, seven Pac-10 Championships, and the Home Depot Coach of the Year Award (2003) and AFCA Coach of the Year Award (2003).

Carroll is an alumnus of Redwood High School in Larkspur, California. He later attended college at Marin and Pacific.

Find more info in Pete Carroll's Pro Football Reference page.