Discover the career path of Pete Carroll, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Pete Carroll is an American football coach, most recently the head coach for the Seattle Seahawks (2010-2023). Previously, he held head coaching positions with the New York Jets and New England Patriots in the NFL, and the USC Trojans in college football. Carroll is one of only three coaches to have won both a college football national championship and a Super Bowl, achieving this feat during his tenures with USC and the Seattle Seahawks respectively.
1977: Graduate Assistant at Arkansas
In 1977, Pete Carroll served as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas, working with the secondary.
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1980: Defensive Coordinator at North Carolina State
In 1980, Pete Carroll became the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at North Carolina State University.
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1983: Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator at Pacific
In 1983, Pete Carroll became the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Pacific University.
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1984: Defensive Backs Coach of the Buffalo Bills
In 1984, Pete Carroll entered the NFL as the defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills.
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1985: Defensive Backs Coach of the Minnesota Vikings
In 1985, Pete Carroll moved on to work with the Minnesota Vikings as the defensive backs coach.
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1989: Candidate for Head Coaching Position at Stanford University
In 1989, Pete Carroll was a candidate for the head coaching position at Stanford University, but he didn't get the job.
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1990: Defensive Coordinator for the New York Jets
In 1990, Pete Carroll became the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets under Bruce Coslet.
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1992: Candidate for Vikings Head Coach
In 1992, Pete Carroll was a serious candidate for the Vikings' head coach position but lost the position.
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1993: Carroll Resigns as Defensive Coordinator
In 1993, Pete Carroll resigned as defensive coordinator of the NY Jets.
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1994: Named Head Coach of the New York Jets
In 1994, Pete Carroll became the head coach of the New York Jets in the NFL, marking a significant step in his early coaching career.
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1994: Elevated to Head Coach of the Jets
In 1994, Pete Carroll was elevated to head coach of the New York Jets, but was fired after one season.
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1995: Defensive Coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers
In 1995, Pete Carroll became the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
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1996: Start of USC's decade of dominance
The year 1996 marks the beginning of the decade that ESPN recognized USC as the top team, citing their renaissance and dominance under Carroll.
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1997: Named Head Coach of the New England Patriots
In 1997, Pete Carroll became the head coach of the New England Patriots, continuing his NFL coaching journey.
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1997: Hired as Head Coach of the New England Patriots
In 1997, Pete Carroll was hired as the head coach of the New England Patriots.
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1997: USC Tried to Recruit Carroll
In 1997, USC tried to recruit Pete Carroll to be their head coach while he was coaching the Patriots, but Carroll was unable to take the position at that time.
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1999: Fired by the New England Patriots
In 1999, Pete Carroll was fired by the New England Patriots after his team missed the playoffs.
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December 15, 2000: Named Head Coach of the USC Trojans
On December 15, 2000, Pete Carroll was named the head coach of the USC Trojans, signing a five-year contract.
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2000: Consultant for Pro and College Teams
In 2000, Pete Carroll spent the year as a consultant for pro and college teams, doing charitable work, and writing a column for CNNSI.com.
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2001: Named Head Coach of the USC Trojans
In 2001, Pete Carroll became the head coach of the USC Trojans, marking his shift to college football and the start of a successful era for the program.
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2002: NFL Teams Approached Carroll
Beginning in 2002, Pete Carroll was repeatedly approached by NFL teams regarding vacant head coach positions, but he hesitated to return due to previous experiences.
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2002: Carroll Received a Raise
In 2002, Pete Carroll received a significant raise after the season.
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April 2003: Founding of A Better LA
In April 2003, Pete Carroll helped organize a meeting that resulted in the founding of A Better LA, a charity focused on reducing violence in urban areas of Los Angeles.
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2004: Carroll Earned Close to $3 Million
In 2004, Pete Carroll earned close to $3 million, which ended with USC winning the BCS title in January 2005.
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December 2005: Carroll Agreed to Contract Extension
In December 2005, Pete Carroll agreed to a contract extension with USC.
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2005: Carroll ties best record in Seattle history
In 2013, Pete Carroll's 13-3 record with the Seattle Seahawks matched Mike Holmgren's 2005 season record for best in Seattle history.
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2006: End of USC's decade of dominance
The year 2006 marks the end of the decade that ESPN recognized USC as the top team, citing their renaissance and dominance under Carroll.
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July 2007: ESPN names USC #1 team of the decade
In July 2007, ESPN.com named USC its #1 team of the decade (1996-2006), citing the Trojans' renaissance and dominance under Pete Carroll.
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2007: Carroll's Total Compensation was $4,415,714
For the 2007 fiscal year, Pete Carroll's total compensation, including pay and benefits, was $4,415,714.
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May 2008: Carroll defined the first 10 years of the BCS Era
In May 2008, Pete Carroll was named the coach who did the most to define the first 10 years of the BCS Era.
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April 2009: Launch of CampPete.com
In April 2009, Pete Carroll launched CampPete.com, a multi-player online game aimed at bringing his 'Win Forever' philosophy to kids, with a portion of proceeds supporting A Better LA.
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2009: Carroll considered for Seahawks job
After the 2009 season, Pete Carroll was rumored to be in the running for the Seattle Seahawks head coach job.
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January 8, 2010: Carroll rumored to be hired as Seahawks head coach
On January 8, 2010, it was reported that Pete Carroll was about to be hired as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
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January 9, 2010: Carroll reaches agreement with Seahawks
On the morning of January 9, 2010, Pete Carroll reportedly came to an agreement with the Seattle Seahawks on a five-year contract to be head coach.
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January 11, 2010: Carroll Left USC to Coach the Seahawks
On January 11, 2010, it was reported that Pete Carroll would be leaving USC to coach the Seattle Seahawks, agreeing to a 5-year $33 million contract.
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2010: Named Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks
In 2010, Pete Carroll became the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, signaling his return to the NFL after a successful stint in college football.
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2010: Seahawks win division title with 7-9 record
In 2010, Pete Carroll's first season with the Seahawks, the team finished 7-9 but won their NFC West division, becoming the first 7-9 team in NFL history to win a division title.
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2011: Acknowledged that he would not have been here a long time without his starting quarterback
During the season, the Seahawks' first such losing season since 2011, Carroll candidly admitted to the media that he "probably wouldn't have been here a long time" without his longtime starting quarterback
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2012: Seahawks have a winning season and playoff berth
In 2012, Pete Carroll led the Seahawks to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth, marking his first winning season for the team. The Seahawks also faced controversy during the Monday Night Football game against the Green Bay Packers due to officiating.
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2013: Seahawks finish 13-3 and secure top seed in NFC
In 2013, Pete Carroll led the Seattle Seahawks to a 13-3 record, securing the number one seed in the NFC. The Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
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February 2, 2014: Carroll leads Seahawks to Super Bowl XLVIII victory
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.
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February 1, 2015: Seahawks lose Super Bowl XLIX to the Patriots
On February 1, 2015, Pete Carroll's Seattle Seahawks lost Super Bowl XLIX to the New England Patriots 28-24. A controversial play call near the end of the game led to an interception.
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July 25, 2016: Contract Extension with Seahawks
On July 25, 2016, Pete Carroll signed a three-year contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks, keeping him with the team through the 2019 season.
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2016: Won division title since 2016
In 2020 Pete Carroll and the Seahawks won their first division title since 2016
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2017: Seahawks Miss Playoffs
In 2017, Pete Carroll's eighth season with the Seahawks, the team finished with a 9-7 record, missing the playoffs for only the second time during his tenure with the team.
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October 14, 2018: Seahawks All-Time Wins Leader
On October 14, 2018, Pete Carroll secured his 91st win as the Seahawks' head coach against the Oakland Raiders, becoming the franchise's all-time wins leader, surpassing Mike Holmgren.
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September 15, 2019: 100th Win as Seahawks Head Coach
On September 15, 2019, his 68th birthday, Pete Carroll achieved his 100th win as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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2019: Contract Extension Term
In 2016 Pete Carroll signed a three year contract extension that would keep him with the Seahawks through the 2019 season.
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November 8, 2020: Contract Extension with Seahawks
On November 8, 2020, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks agreed to a four-year contract extension.
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January 16, 2022: Carroll to Retain Seahawks Job
On January 16, 2022, it was reported that Pete Carroll would retain his job as head coach of the Seahawks for the 2022 season, despite a losing season.
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2023: Seahawks Miss Playoffs
In 2023, Pete Carroll led the Seahawks to a 9-8 record, but the team was eliminated from the playoffs on the last day of the season due to a tiebreaker.
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2023: Carroll leaves Seahawks
In 2023, Pete Carroll stepped down as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks and took an advisory position within the organization after 14 seasons.
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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.
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2024: Carroll Moves to Advisor Role
In 2024, after stepping down as head coach, Pete Carroll transitioned to an advisor role within the Seahawks organization, limiting his interactions with the team to allow his successor to build his own vision.
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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, departing Seattle after 15 years. He will become the oldest head coach in NFL history upon coaching his first game for the Raiders.
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2025: Named Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders
In 2025, Pete Carroll left his advisory role with the Seahawks and became the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
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