Four great potential landing spots for Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll isn't exactly out of a job, but there's been zero news about what his advisory role with the Seahawks might be. Let's take a few not-so-wild guesses where he may land in 2024.
After 14 years on the job as the greatest head coach in Seahawks history, Pete Carroll doesn't have a defined position. In fact, with the exception of the year 2000, it's the first time since 1973 that Carroll doesn't have a well-defined role in football. Fired by the Patriots for going 8-8 in 1999, Carroll took a year off. For Pete Carroll, a year off means consulting with both NFL and college teams, writing a football column for the now-defunct CNNSI, and doing charity work for the league. You know, typical lazy Pete Carroll stuff.
Anyway, Pete has some time on his hands, at least for now. In Jody Allen's official statement, it was noted that Carroll would remain as an advisor with the Seahawks. The quote regarding his role was, "[Carroll] will continue as an integral part of our organization moving forward." There may be very specific plans in place, but as of yet, nothing has been made public. So, whither Pete? For you Cardinals fans lurking out there, "whither" means where could he be going. You're thinking of "wither", like your team's dying chances to be relevant within the next 20 years.
Pete Carroll could be coaching with a bitter Seahawks rival
Look, there's no point in beating around the bush. There's only one role that Carroll could take that would absolutely ignite the 12s, and we all know what that would be. After the 49ers lost the Super Bowl - let me write that again; it's just so satisfying - after the 49ers lost the Super Bowl, they made the rather puzzling decision to fire their defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks. There are a lot of rumors swirling around the Bay area, but as of this moment, the 49ers have not announced a new DC.
Oh, the rumors are out there. Both Jeff Ulbrich and Nick Sorenson are prominent names in the ether. But what a coup it would be for Kyle Shanahan to hire his formal rival as his defensive coordinator! Would it make sense? Not exactly, not even close. But it didn't make sense to fire the architect of the third-ranked defense in the NFL either. If nothing else, Carroll could return to the sidelines as an assistant defensive coach. He's made it clear he felt that he still had a lot left in the tank. And what better way would there be to stick it to the team that fired him than to have a chance to beat them twice a year?