Career Timeline of Pete Carroll: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Pete Carroll, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Peter Clay Carroll is an American football coach. He is the head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the NFL. Before that, he coached USC, the New York Jets, New England Patriots, and Seattle Seahawks. He won a college football national championship with USC and Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks, making him one of only three coaches to win both.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1977: Graduate Assistant at Arkansas

In 1977, Pete Carroll worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas, working with the secondary.

1978: Won the Orange Bowl

In 1978, Pete Carroll's team, the Arkansas Razorbacks, won the Orange Bowl.

1980: Defensive Coordinator at North Carolina State University

In 1980, Pete Carroll became the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at North Carolina State University.

1983: Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator at Pacific

In 1983, Pete Carroll became the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of the Pacific.

1983: Last College Coaching before USC

Pete Carroll had not coached in the college ranks since 1983 before becoming the Trojans' head coach.

1984: Defensive Backs Coach for the Buffalo Bills

In 1984, Pete Carroll entered the NFL as the defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills.

1985: Defensive Backs Coach for the Minnesota Vikings

In 1985, Pete Carroll moved to the Minnesota Vikings as the defensive backs coach.

1989: Candidate for Stanford Head Coaching Position

In 1989, Pete Carroll was a candidate for the head coaching position at Stanford University, but the position went to Dennis Green.

1990: Defensive Coordinator for the New York Jets

From 1990, Pete Carroll served as the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets under Bruce Coslet.

1992: Candidate for Vikings' Head Coach Position

In 1992, Pete Carroll was a serious candidate for the Vikings' head coach position, but he did not get the job.

1993: End of Defensive Coordinator position for the New York Jets

In 1993, Pete Carroll's tenure as the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets concluded.

1994: Head Coach of the New York Jets

In 1994, Pete Carroll became the head coach of the New York Jets and was later fired after one season.

1995: Defensive Coordinator for San Francisco 49ers

In 1995, Pete Carroll became the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.

1996: Start of USC dominance

In July 2007, ESPN.com named USC its #1 team of the decade for the period between 1996 and 2006, primarily citing the Trojans' renaissance and dominance under Carroll.

1997: Head Coach for the New England Patriots

In 1997, Pete Carroll became the head coach for the New England Patriots.

1997: USC Tried to Recruit Carroll

In 1997, while Pete Carroll was coaching the Patriots, USC tried to recruit him to be their head coach, but he was unable to take the position.

1998: Lost Wild Card Playoff Round

In 1998, Pete Carroll's Patriots team lost in the wild card playoff round.

1999: Fired by the New England Patriots

In 1999, Pete Carroll was fired as head coach of the New England Patriots.

1999: End of Patriots coaching

In 1999, Pete Carroll's tenure as head coach for the New England Patriots concluded.

December 15, 2000: Named Trojans' Head Coach

On December 15, 2000, Pete Carroll was named the head coach of the USC Trojans, signing a five-year contract.

2000: Consultant for Pro and College Teams

In 2000, Pete Carroll spent the year as a consultant for professional and college teams, did charitable work for the NFL, and wrote a column for CNNSI.com.

2001: USC Head Coach

In 2001, Pete Carroll became the head coach for USC.

2002: Significant raise

After the 2002 season, Pete Carroll received a significant raise from USC.

2004: Increased earnings and BCS title

During the 2004 season, Pete Carroll earned close to $3 million, with the season culminating in USC winning the BCS title in January 2005.

January 2005: USC wins BCS title

In January 2005, Pete Carroll's USC team won the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) title.

December 2005: Contract extension

In December 2005, Pete Carroll agreed to a contract extension with USC.

2005: Tying Holmgren's record

During the 2013 season, Carroll's Seahawks finished with a 13-3 record, tying Mike Holmgren's 2005 season for the best in Seattle history and earning the number one seed in the NFC.

2005: BCS National Championship at the Orange Bowl

In 2005, Pete Carroll won a BCS national championship at the Orange Bowl with USC, though the title was later vacated.

2006: End of USC dominance

In July 2007, ESPN.com named USC its #1 team of the decade for the period between 1996 and 2006, primarily citing the Trojans' renaissance and dominance under Carroll.

2007: Total Compensation

In the 2007 fiscal year, Pete Carroll's total compensation, including pay and benefits, amounted to $4,415,714.

2009: Rumors of Carroll taking Seahawks job

After the Seattle Seahawks fired head coach Jim L. Mora after the 2009 season, Pete Carroll was rumored to be in the running for the job.

2009: End of USC coaching

In 2009, Pete Carroll's tenure as head coach for USC concluded.

January 8, 2010: Carroll nearing Seahawks deal

On January 8, 2010, reports indicated that Pete Carroll was on the verge of being hired as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, with both parties finalizing contract details.

January 9, 2010: Carroll Agrees to Seahawks Contract

On the morning of January 9, 2010, Pete Carroll reportedly reached an agreement with the Seattle Seahawks on a five-year contract to become their head coach.

January 11, 2010: Carroll Leaves USC for Seattle Seahawks

On January 11, 2010, Pete Carroll left USC to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, signing a 5-year, $33 million contract. He had informed his players the previous evening about his resignation from USC.

2010: Head Coach for the Seattle Seahawks

In 2010, Pete Carroll became the head coach for the Seattle Seahawks.

2010: Hired as Seahawks head coach

In 2010, Pete Carroll returned to the NFL and was hired as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

2010: Seahawks Roster Overhaul and Playoff Berth

In the 2010 season, Pete Carroll significantly altered the Seahawks roster, making over 200 transactions. The team finished with a 7-9 record but won the NFC West, becoming the first team with that record to win a division title. They then upset the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs before losing to the Chicago Bears.

2011: Another 7-9 Season for the Seahawks

In 2011, Pete Carroll again coached the Seahawks to a 7–9 record, but it was not enough to secure a playoff spot.

2012: Winning Season and Controversial Game

In 2012, Pete Carroll led the Seahawks to an 11–5 record with rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, marking Carroll's first winning season for the team. A controversial call during a game against the Green Bay Packers ignited national outrage. The Seahawks made the playoffs, winning their Wild Card game before losing in the Divisional Round to the Atlanta Falcons.

2012: Seattle's winning streak at home began

The penultimate game, against the Arizona Cardinals, was Seattle's attempt to continue their at-home winning streak to 15 games (record started in Week 2 of the 2012 season).

2013: Seahawks finish as #1 seed

During the 2013 season, Carroll's Seahawks finished with a 13-3 record, tying Mike Holmgren's 2005 season for the best in Seattle history and earning the number one seed in the NFC. They advanced to the Super Bowl after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

February 2, 2014: Seahawks Win Super Bowl XLVIII

On February 2, 2014, Pete Carroll led the Seattle Seahawks to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history, defeating the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII. He became one of the few coaches to win both an NCAA championship and a Super Bowl.

2014: Seahawks' Quest to Repeat as Super Bowl Champions

In 2014, the Seahawks began their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions, starting with a victory over the Green Bay Packers and later defeating the Denver Broncos in overtime. After a team meeting following a Week 11 loss, the Seahawks finished the regular season 6–0 and reached their second straight NFC Championship.

February 1, 2015: Seahawks Lose Super Bowl XLIX

On February 1, 2015, Pete Carroll's Seahawks lost Super Bowl XLIX to the New England Patriots, 28-24, after a controversial play call near the end of the game.

July 25, 2016: Contract Extension with Seahawks

On July 25, 2016, Pete Carroll signed a three-year contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks, securing his position with the team through the 2019 season.

2016: Seahawks clinch division title

In 2016, Pete Carroll's Seahawks won their first division title since 2016, before losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round.

2018: Winningest Seahawks Coach

In 2018, Pete Carroll became the Seattle Seahawks' winningest coach.

2019: Contract Extension with Seahawks

Carroll's contract extension in 2016 kept him with the Seattle Seahawks through the 2019 season.

November 8, 2020: Contract Extension with Seahawks

On November 8, 2020, Pete Carroll agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks.

2023: Stepped down as Seahawks head coach

Following the 2023 season, Pete Carroll stepped down as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks to take on an advisory position with the team for one year.

2023: End of Seahawks coaching

In 2023, Pete Carroll's tenure as head coach for the Seattle Seahawks concluded.

January 10, 2024: Carroll Steps Down as Seahawks Head Coach

On January 10, 2024, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks mutually agreed that he would step down from his head coaching role.

January 25, 2025: Carroll Hired as Raiders Head Coach

On January 25, 2025, Pete Carroll was hired as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, marking his departure from the Seattle Seahawks after 15 years.