Carroll, NFL still a lousy fit
Give Pete Carroll about one year before he starts realizing the mistake he just made. By that time, he’ll be wondering why he resigned from USC to become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
That fat deal he recently accepted — one reportedly worth $35 million over five years — won’t be nearly as capable of insulating his pride from all the abuse he’ll be taking publicly. The players also won’t be embracing him like they have in college. Before you know it, that constant smile that has become Carroll’s trademark will be harder and harder to find.
Regardless of how optimistic some Carroll supporters may be about this news, the man is going to fail in the NFL. He’s already been fired by the New York Jets (whom he coached in 1994) and the New England Patriots (he was there from 1997 to ’99), which is all you really need to know.
A nine-year absence from pro football doesn’t mean Carroll has learned how to be a better head coach at that level. It means only that he’s become one more man who thought it was better to give up a cushy gig for a shot at the big time.
ESPN.com
1/11/10
