Pete Carroll‘s time as the head coach of the Seahawks came to an end earlier this week, seemingly signaling the end of his legendary coaching career. Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart, who played for Pete Carroll at USC, recently offered some thoughts on what Carroll accomplished in college football and in the NFL.
Carroll won a pair of national titles at USC, as well as a Super Bowl with the Seahawks. He is one of only three head coaches to win a college football national championship and a Super Bowl.
“Coach Carroll is no longer coaching the Seahawks, which I assume [means] he’s retiring from head coaching and an incredible career – both at the college level and in the NFL,” Matt Leinart said. “And you go back to those years I was there, he was honest, he did it, he built a dynasty.”
Carroll compiled a 97-14 record at USC, winning at least 11 games for seven consecutive seasons.
He won the national title with the Trojans in 2003 and 2004 and eventually left for the NFL following the 2009 season.
Leinart joined the USC program ahead of Carroll’s first season in 2001 and still remembers what it was like when Carroll took over the program.
“I remember the first time I met him, the USC staff got fired, Pete Carroll gets hired at USC. Everyone’s kind of like, ‘Who is this guy?’ Even myself, I’m like, ‘Who is this guy that’s coming from the NFL?’ Had no clue who he was,” Leinart recalled. “He came to my high school Mater Dei, threw the ball with me, played catch, because I was already an early commit to the previous staff. And I committed to Pete because of his infectious personality, his energy. He was so excited about what he was going to build at USC.”
Carroll was hired as the head coach of the Seahawks ahead of the 2011 season. Seattle reached the playoffs 10 times in 14 seasons under Carroll, winning the Super Bowl in 2013. The Seahawks also reached the Super Bowl in 2014.
There’s no denying the impact Carroll had on USC and the Seahawks.
“He’s one of the greatest college football coaches of all time. He always had a laugh. He had a zest for life on the football field. He created such an incredible culture for us at USC, a winning culture, a championship culture,” Leinart said. “And I owe a lot of my success, just on the football field and able to go to the NFL and all the other stuff to coach Pete. So coach Pete, congratulations on a tremendous coaching career. One of the best to ever do it, man.”
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