Pete Carroll out as Seahawks head coach after storied 14 years

[FORD]

kiro7.com
‘I’ve loved every minute’: Pete Carroll out as Seahawks head coach after storied 14 years
By KIRO 7 News Staff
2–3 minutes

SEATTLE — After nearly a decade and a half, Pete Carroll is out as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter was the first to break the news.

The team released a statement after reports began to surface, saying that they had “amicably agreed” to have him transition from head coach to an advisor position with the organization.

You can read the full statement here:

Carroll delivered an emotional press conference Wednesday, reiterating that “for a variety of reasons, we’ve mutually agreed to set a new course for the club to take on new leadership.”

“It’s been an honor,” he continued, pausing as he teared up. “I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Carroll expressed his support for General Manager John Schneider and the Seahawks’ ownership as they begin their search for a new head coach.

As for why he stepped down, he clarified that he “competed pretty hard to be the coach,” but ultimately agreed that it was the best move for the organization. He went on to say that it was “too soon” to talk about whether he’d take on a head coaching job for another team down the line.

In a show of support, a handful of Seahawks players were in attendance at Carroll’s farewell presser, including Geno Smith and Bobby Wagner.

Well-wishes have poured in since Carroll’s departure as head coach was made official. Among them was Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.

“Pete Carroll’s positive leadership and standard of excellence made him the Seahawks winningest head coach, brought home Seattle’s first Super Bowl title, and inspired our city with a good attitude, humor, and a true commitment to our community,” Harrell said. “Thank you, Coach Carroll!”

Quarterback Russell Wilson called Carroll “one of the greatest ever” in a post on Wednesday afternoon as well.

Carroll coached the Seahawks for 14 seasons to a 137-89 record. His storied tenure included back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, as well as the franchise’s first Super Bowl win in 2014.

©2024 Cox Media Group

[Kristy]

Fuck that bubblegum-chewing lanky loser. Now that a shithole state like Michigan kicked the crap out of your overrated Huskies it's not looking good in the sports land of Nirvanaville is it?


By the way, that F A T moron in New England was handed his walking papers. He might end up in Shitattle.

[FORD]

BelliCheat would never go to the Seahawks. Also, he's about the same age as Pete. As is Nick Saban, so he's not likely either. I honestly don't know who the fuck will be the next coach. I hope to fuck it's not Harbaugh. And yeah.. don't get me started on the CFP game

[FORD]

For fucks sake, now DeBoer has left the Dawgs for sister-fucking overrated SEC cheating fucks in Alabama??

Maybe Pete Carroll should go to the UW so at least we can have ONE functional football team around here next season??

[Kristy]

Dan Quinn is going to be your next coach. The Huskies remain to be over rated trash. Michigan proved that.

[FORD]

I would welcome Dan Quinn back as the defensive coordinator, but his record in Atlanta doesn't exactly make him a good choice as head coach. Defense is definitely where the Seahawks need the most help right now. All those missed tackles were fucking embarrassing.

[twonabomber]

Saban will probably end up on ESPN

[FORD]

Forget what I said before. If that Cowpies team is what a Dan Quinn defense looks like now, I don't want him on the Seahawks in any capacity.

[FORD]

So no word yet on who will be the next Seahawks coach, but it seems the Dawgs have poached Jedd Fisch from Arizona. They didn't go with Pete Carroll, but they might end up with his kid, who is currently the offensive coordinator at AZ. If Fisch wants to bring in the rest of his team with him. And if Carroll Jr. is on board, the Dawgs might get Pete helping out... officially or not.

Condolences to my second hometown of Tucson, considering your coach just did what ours did earlier in the week. Such is the current state of college football...

[FORD]

Brennan Carroll has officially joined his boss Jedd Fisch to become UWs offensive coordinator. So maybe the Dawgs get Pete as an unofficial "bonus coach"?

[Kristy]

As long as your Huskies continue to choke who cares?

[FORD]

They "choked" in one game after an otherwise perfect season. Not the ending I wanted, but I'll take it. And hopefully repairing the coaching staff immediately - and with somebody known for decent recruiting - will ensure that next season goes well.

Definitely more optimistic about the 2024 Dawgs than the 2024 Seahawks at the moment. We will see what happens there, but I doubt they will make any official coaching moves until after the NFL playoffs are done.

[Von Halen]

Washington should have never been in the top 4. They were handed the Washington State game on a silver platter. They were absolutely not one of the best 4 teams. Neither was Texas. The WolverQueens benefitted from cheating and playing the 51st ranked strength of schedule in the Nation. Hard to get your players beat up when you are playing high school caliber teams. If this had been the year the 12 team system went into affect, none of these 4 teams would have been in the top 4.

[FORD]

Will the new Seahawks coach be..... Mike McDonald??

Yeah.... OK so not THAT Mike McDonald... but that seems to be the latest word around Cascadia.

[FORD]

Seahawks hiring Ravens DC Mike Macdonald as coach

Sources: Seahawks hiring Ravens DC Mike Macdonald as coach

Brady Henderson, ESPN
Jan 31, 2024, 01:20 PM ET

SEATTLE -- The Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald have agreed to a deal to make him their next head coach, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

Macdonald is receiving a six-year contract, sources told Schefter.

The Seahawks moved to hire Macdonald after meeting with him for a second time Wednesday, a day after their initial interview in Baltimore.

Macdonald, 36, becomes the NFL's youngest head coach and brings to Seattle a reputation as one of the league's brightest defensive minds, having led the Ravens to No. 1 in points allowed, sacks and takeaways in 2023, his second season as Baltimore's coordinator.

Seahawks leadership, including general manager John Schneider, met with Macdonald for the first time Tuesday. A day earlier, Seattle held a second, in-person interview with Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who later told the Seahawks and the Washington Commanders -- the last two teams to fill their head-coaching vacancies -- that he was remaining in Detroit, sources told Schefter.

In replacing 72-year-old Pete Carroll with 36-year-old Macdonald, the Seahawks are going from the NFL's oldest head coach to its youngest. Macdonald is 16 months younger than Jerod Mayo, who was hired by the New England Patriots earlier this month to succeed Bill Belichick.

Macdonald was one of the most targeted head-coaching candidates this year. He interviewed with six teams about their vacancies: the Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers and Commanders.

To replace Macdonald as defensive coordinator, the Ravens have many options on their current staff to promote. Assistant head coach and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, inside linebackers coach Zachary Orr and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt are all candidates in Baltimore after interviewing for defensive coordinator positions with other NFL teams this offseason.

Macdonald got his start in the NFL as a coaching intern with the Ravens in 2014 after four seasons coaching at the University of Georgia, his alma mater. He spent seven seasons on Baltimore's staff during his first stint with the team, also serving as a defensive assistant (2015-16), defensive backs coach (2017) and linebackers coach (2018-20) under John Harbaugh before Harbaugh's brother, Jim, hired Macdonald to be the University of Michigan's defensive coordinator in 2021.

Macdonald returned to Baltimore to coordinate the Ravens' defense in 2022. Over his two seasons in that role, Baltimore has allowed the second-fewest points (17.5) and the sixth-fewest yards (312.8) per game while ranking first in ESPN's defensive efficiency metric. In 2023, they became the first team in NFL history to lead the league in fewest points allowed (16.5), most sacks (60) and most takeaways (tied for first at 31) in the same season.

"I think [Macdonald is] the best candidate out there right now," Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen said this past season. "I don't think anybody does it like him. Nobody cares like him. Nobody will do what he does. He will not rest until he has everything right. Whoever gets him, if he leaves, they're getting the best candidate out there. The guy is all-around just the best person I've ever been around, coach-wise [and] person-wise. He really cares and truly cares about the players, the people around the organization and the fans."

Macdonald was born in Boston and attended high school in Roswell, Georgia, where his football career was cut short by injuries. He did not play college football, graduating summa cum laude with a finance degree from UGA in 2010. While serving as safeties coach and defensive quality control coach for the Bulldogs, Macdonald earned his master's degree in sports management from UGA, graduating with a 4.0 GPA in 2013.

Macdonald will become the eighth full-time head coach in Seahawks history. His hiring comes exactly three weeks after Carroll's 14-year run in Seattle ended with team owner Jody Allen announcing that he would no longer coach the team, instead moving into a yet-to-be-determined advisory role within the organization. Carroll had final say over personnel decisions, power that now belongs to Schneider.

While Schneider led the search for Carroll's replacement, he said Allen -- who assumed control of the team when her brother, Paul Allen, died in 2018 - would have "a lot" of say over the hire. Schneider also said Allen gave him a "clear" and "concise" directive to maintain the organization's "positive culture, everything that's been created here."

The Seahawks conducted initial interviews with a reported nine candidates and held second, in-person interviews with five of them: New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Dallas Cowboys DC Dan Quinn, Carolina Panthers DC Ejiro Evero, Johnson and Macdonald.

The Seahawks did not conduct an initial interview with Macdonald during the Ravens' playoff bye week, which meant they had to wait until the Ravens' season ended to meet with him. For that reason, his name flew under the radar as a Seahawks candidate for much of their search until gaining steam during Baltimore's run to the AFC title game, which they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs despite holding Patrick Mahomes to only 17 points.

The first order of business for Macdonald will be assembling a coaching staff. After moving on from Carroll, the Seahawks gave his assistants permission to interview for other jobs. Several have already been hired elsewhere, including offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (to become the Chicago Bears' OC) and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt (to become the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive line coach), who weren't expected to be retained in those roles by Seattle's next coach.

The Seahawks also have to make a decision this winter on whether or not to proceed with Geno Smith as their starting quarterback in 2023. Smith's $12.7 million base salary for next season will become fully guaranteed on Feb. 16 if he's still on their roster by then.

ESPN's Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.