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.
On September 15, 1951, Peter Clay Carroll was born. He would later become a successful football coach in both college and the NFL.
In 1969, Pete Carroll was named the Athlete of the Year at his high school, recognizing his achievements in football, basketball, and baseball.
In 1971, Pete Carroll earned All-Pacific Coast Athletic Association honors for his performance as a free safety for the University of the Pacific Tigers.
In 1973, Pete Carroll graduated from the University of the Pacific with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
In 1974, Carroll draws coaching inspiration from the 1974 book The Inner Game of Tennis by tennis coach W. Timothy Gallwey, which he picked up as graduate student at the University of the Pacific.
In 1976, Pete Carroll earned a Master's degree in physical education from the Pacific University while working as a graduate assistant, marking an important step in his coaching career.
In 1977, Pete Carroll served as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas, working with the secondary.
In 1978, the Razorbacks, where Pete Carroll was a graduate assistant, won the Orange Bowl.
In 1980, Pete Carroll became the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at North Carolina State University.
In 1980, the Ohio State squad, where Pete Carroll coached the secondary, made it to the Rose Bowl where they lost to USC.
In 1983, Pete Carroll became the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Pacific University.
In 1984, Pete Carroll entered the NFL as the defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills.
In 1985, Pete Carroll moved on to work with the Minnesota Vikings as the defensive backs coach.
In 1989, Pete Carroll was a candidate for the head coaching position at Stanford University, but he didn't get the job.
In 1990, Pete Carroll became the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets under Bruce Coslet.
In 1992, Pete Carroll was a serious candidate for the Vikings' head coach position but lost the position.
In 1993, Pete Carroll resigned as defensive coordinator of the NY 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.
In 1994, Pete Carroll was elevated to head coach of the New York Jets, but was fired after one season.
In 1995, Pete Carroll became the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
In 1995, Pete Carroll was inducted into the Pacific Athletic Hall of Fame, recognizing his accomplishments as a player and coach.
The year 1996 marks the beginning of the decade that ESPN recognized USC as the top team, citing their renaissance and dominance under Carroll.
In 1997, Pete Carroll became the head coach of the New England Patriots, continuing his NFL coaching journey.
In 1997, Pete Carroll was hired as the head coach of the New England Patriots.
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.
In 1998, Pete Carroll's New England Patriots team lost in the wild card playoff round.
In 1999, Pete Carroll was fired by the New England Patriots after his team missed the playoffs.
On December 15, 2000, Pete Carroll was named the head coach of the USC Trojans, signing a five-year contract.
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.
On September 29, 2001, during Pete Carroll's first year, USC lost to Stanford Cardinal 21-16.
On October 13, 2001, USC's 35-game winning streak at the Coliseum began with a 48-17 victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils.
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.
In 2001, Pete Carroll's first USC team started the season with a 2-5 record, leading to criticism and concerns about the program's future.
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.
In 2002, Pete Carroll received a significant raise after the season.
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.
In 2003, Pete Carroll's team won a then-school record 34 straight games from 2003 to 2005.
In 2003, controversy arose when Pete Carroll's USC was excluded from the National Championship Game despite being ranked #1 in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.
In 2004, Pete Carroll earned close to $3 million, which ended with USC winning the BCS title in January 2005.
In 2004, USC's Grantland Rice Trophy was revoked.
In 2004, some USC football victories were forfeited due to NCAA sanctions.
In 2004, the Trojans were asked to return the Grantland Rice Trophy after being stripped of the Football Writers Assn. of America national championship.
In January 2005, Pete Carroll coached USC to win the BCS title.
In December 2005, Pete Carroll agreed to a contract extension with USC.
In 2005, Pete Carroll won a BCS national championship at the Orange Bowl with USC, though the title was later vacated.
In 2005, Pete Carroll's USC team won a then-school record 34 straight games from 2003 to 2005.
In 2005, some USC football victories were forfeited due to NCAA sanctions.
In 2013, Pete Carroll's 13-3 record with the Seattle Seahawks matched Mike Holmgren's 2005 season record for best in Seattle history.
In a 2005 interview, Carroll explained his motivation stating, "I always think something good's just about to happen."
In 2006, Pete Carroll's then-school record 34 straight games came to an end at the national championship game against the Texas Longhorns in the Rose Bowl.
The year 2006 marks the end of the decade that ESPN recognized USC as the top team, citing their renaissance and dominance under Carroll.
In July 2007, ESPN.com named USC its #1 team of the decade (1996-2006), citing the Trojans' renaissance and dominance under Pete Carroll.
On September 22, 2007, USC had their final victory in the 35-game winning streak at the Coliseum, winning 47-14 over the Washington State Cougars.
On October 6, 2007, USC's 35-game winning streak at the Coliseum ended with a 24-23 loss to Stanford.
For the 2007 fiscal year, Pete Carroll's total compensation, including pay and benefits, was $4,415,714.
In May 2008, Pete Carroll was named the coach who did the most to define the first 10 years of the BCS Era.
In 2008, ESPN.com named Pete Carroll's hiring as the number one moment in a list of the Pac-10's top ten moments of the BCS era, highlighting the turnaround he brought to USC.
In 2008, Pete Carroll reflected on the 2003 season when USC was excluded from the National Championship Game, emphasizing the importance of focusing on controllable goals like winning the Rose Bowl.
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.
In April 2009, Pete Carroll was inducted into the charter class of the Redwood High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
After the 2009 season, Pete Carroll was rumored to be in the running for the Seattle Seahawks head coach job.
On January 8, 2010, it was reported that Pete Carroll was about to be hired as head coach of the Seattle 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.
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.
On June 9, 2010, it was reported that Pete Carroll appeared before the NCAA Committee on Infractions the previous February.
On June 10, 2010, Pete Carroll stated that he was "absolutely shocked and disappointed" in the NCAA's findings regarding USC.
On August 26, 2010, the Football Writers Association of America announced it would take back USC's 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy, and USC will return the trophy.
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.
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.
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
In 2011, Pete Carroll coached the Seahawks to another 7-9 record, which was not enough to secure a playoff spot.
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.
In 2012, the Seahawks began an at-home winning streak that carried on into the 2013 season.
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.
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.
In July 2014, Pete Carroll was announced as a member of the 2015 USC Athletic Hall of Fame class.
In 2014, Pete Carroll stated that the NCAA's investigation into USC was dealt with poorly and irrationally, with too much emotion instead of facts.
In 2014, the Seahawks started strong, defeating the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos early in the season.
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.
In 2015, Pete Carroll received both criticism and praise for how he handled the adversity following the Super Bowl XLIX loss. The Seahawks clinched a playoff berth after a rocky start to the season.
In 2015, Pete Carroll reflected on USC's success, stating that it was uncommon for people to understand and that it rubbed people the wrong way, creating bitterness.
Pete Carroll was inducted into the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
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.
In 2020 Pete Carroll and the Seahawks won their first division title since 2016
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.
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.
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.
In 2016 Pete Carroll signed a three year contract extension that would keep him with the Seahawks through the 2019 season.
On September 21, 2020, Pete Carroll was fined US$100,000 by the NFL for not properly wearing a face mask during a Week 2 game, as required during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On November 8, 2020, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks agreed to a four-year contract extension.
During the 2020 offseason, Pete Carroll was named as a coach for the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team along with Bill Belichick.
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.
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.
In 2023, Pete Carroll stepped down as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks and took an advisory position within the organization after 14 seasons.
On January 10, 2024, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks mutually agreed that he would step down from his head coaching 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.
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.
In 2025, Pete Carroll left his advisory role with the Seahawks and became the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.