Pete Carroll
Coaching Record
| Years Coached | Record | Win % | Playoff record | Playoff win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 266-215-1 | 55.29% | 15-17 | 46.88% |
Coaching Tree
Parents:
Jerry Burns, Bruce Coslet, Bud Grant, Kay Stephenson
Children:
Dan Quinn, Dave Canales, Robert Saleh, Gus Bradley
Biography
Career Summary
Pete Carroll was a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 2023, finishing his career as the head coach/executive vice president of football operations of the Seattle Seahawks. Over his thirty years of coaching his teams compiled a cumulative win/loss record of 266-215-1. During his career he was a head coach for eighteen seasons, first with the New York Jets. He led the Jets for one season, compiling a record of 6-10-0. His next head coaching stint was with the New England Patriots from 1997 to 1999, as he led the team to a 27-21-0 record. He was fired from the Patriots on Monday, January 3, 2000. His third head coach placement began in 2010 with the Seattle Seahawks. He coached them for fourteen seasons and the team had a 137-89-1 record during his tenure. In 2013, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos 43-8. He was fired from the Seahawks on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. During his entire head coaching career, his three teams combined for a record of 170-120-1 across eighteen seasons including going 11-11-0 in the playoffs.
Pete Carroll Coaching Tree
Before he was a head coach, Carroll served as an assistant coach for Kay Stephenson, Bud Grant, Jerry Burns, Bruce Coslet, and George Seifert. During this time, he coached for four years for Jerry Burns and Bruce Coslet. During his time as head coach, four assistant coaches, (Dan Quinn, Dave Canales, Gus Bradley, and Robert Saleh) on his coaching staff were hired as head coaches across the league. His coaching tree has combined for a record of 91-149-0 in the regular season and 3-2 in the playoffs during their sixteen seasons as head coach after serving on his coaching staffs.
Personal Information
Carroll was born on Saturday, September 15, 1951 in San Francisco, California.
Table of Contents
Playing Career
College of Marin
Pete Carroll’s history with football stretches back to 1969 at the College of Marin, where he would play two seasons for the school.
University of the Pacific
After transferring to Pacific in 1971 he was named to the All-Pacific Coast Conference twice, and finally inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995. He remained with UOP until his graduation in 1973, where he would unsuccessfully attempt to join the World Football League. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and began his coaching career.
Coaching Career
Early College Career
University of the Pacific
Carroll was hired onto his alma mater as a graduate assistant in 1973 for his first coaching job at the start of a now very long career. His first season looked promising for his education and introduction into the coaching world, the team had a winning record of 7-2-1. After their first years success the team began to see a steady decline, until eventually having a 2-9 record at the end of the 1976 season, his last season with the team before moving on. During his time with the coaching staff he met Bob Cope, whom Carroll would follow for years to come.
University of Arkansas
In 1977 he was hired on in Arkansas Razorbacks as a graduate assistant thanks to Cope, who brought him over from Pacific. After the season ended and the team had a record of 11-1 and a winning the Orange Bowl, Carroll left for Iowa State and his first full time coaching position.
Iowa State University
Carroll was hired on as the secondary coach for the Iowa State Cyclones in 1978 under Head Coach Earle Bruce. He would leave the team with a record of 8-4 for the season he was with them before following Bruce to another school.
Ohio State University
The Ohio State Buckeyes hired him on as their secondary coach at the request of their new Head Coach Earle Bruce in 1979. The team would finish out the season with a record of 11-1 and lost the Rose Bowl to the University of Southern California.
North Carolina State University
He was finally able to coach his own defense in 1980 when he was hired onto the North Carolina State Wolfpack coaching team as their new defensive coordinator and secondary coach. His first and last season with the team would see winning 6-5 records, gaining a losing 4-7 record for the 1981 season. He was let go at the end of the 1982 season in light of coaching changes and headed home.
University of the Pacific
Carroll switched from defense to offensive coordinator for a single year in his career, in 1983 for his alma mater under Head Coach Bob Cope. During this year he also filled the role of assistant head coach as well. This would mark the fourth time he worked with Cope in his coaching career, and it would mark the last. He left the school at the end of the season for his first shot in the NFL.
First Foray in the NFL
Buffalo Bills
He got his beginnings in the professional world in 1984 for the Buffalo Bills as their new defensive backs coach. The team would finish the season with a 2-14 losing record – the worst they’d done in 8 years. The team gave up a franchise-record 454 points for the season and ranked near the bottom of the league in many team metrics.
Minnesota Vikings
Carroll was hired on as the new defensive backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings in 1985. His first two seasons with the team would be uneventful, with a 7-9 record his first season and a 9-7 record his second. It wasn’t until his third season with the team that he would begin a three season playoff streak. The Vikings would peak during his tenure in the 1987 season, losing in the NFC championship game before losing in the divisional round the next two seasons. He left the Vikings after the 1989 season concluded for a more lucrative deal in New York.
New York Jets
He was hired onto the New York Jets coaching staff in 1990 as their defensive coordinator. During his time with the team they only made it to the playoffs a single season in 1991, losing out in the Wildcard Game to the Houston Oilers. He was elevated to the head coaches position in 1994 for a 6-10 losing season. Carroll was fired at the conclusion of the season.
San Francisco 49ers
In 1995 he was hired on as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. His first season with the team they had a record of 11-5, only to lose out in the Wildcard Game of the playoffs to the Green Bay Packers, 17-27. The very next season would see another trip to the playoffs; winning the Wildcard and losing out in the Division match against the Packers – again. At the end of the 1996 season he left the team and headed for his second head coaching job.
New England Patriots
Carroll was hired to be the new head coach for the New England Patriots in 1997, where he would remain for three seasons. The Pats made it to the playoffs his first two seasons with the team, losing in the divisional round in their first season and losing in the wildcard round in his second. His final season with the team they would have an even record of 8-8. After the 1999 season, Carroll was fired by the team, and he decided to sit out the following season from competitive football, opting to serve as a consultant and focusing on other endeavors.
Return to College
University of Southern California
After a yearlong hiatus from coaching, Carroll decided to take the head coaching job that opened up at the University of Southern California. He worked as their head coach from 2001 through 2009, and would completely rebuild their football program during that time. He reached 50 wins faster than any other coach in the history of the school. Under his coaching the team won an unprecedented 7 consecutive Pac-10 titles, finished each season ranked in the AP top 4 and appeared in 7 consecutive BCS Bowls (an NCAA record), all from 2002 through 2008. His nine seasons with the team showed more wins for a period than any other time in Trojan history.
From 2003 through 2004 he guided the Trojans to back-to-back national championships. Over all nine seasons with the team he would leave them with an overall record of 96-19 before returning to the NFL. His last season with the school – and so far for college – was in 2009.
Latest NFL Years
Seattle Seahawks
Carroll returned to the NFL in 2010 for the Seattle Seahawks as their new head coach after his major success with the Trojans the previous years. During his time with the Seahawks he would see the playoffs four of the five seasons and make two back to back Super Bowl appearances. He would win the Super Bowl for the first time ever as head coach in 2013, beating out the Denver Broncos in a landslide victory of 43-8. The Seahawks would make their second appearance in 2014, where they would lose out to the Patriots 24 to 28.
History
| Year | Position | Record | Playoff record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 9-8-0 | 0-0 |
| 2022 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 9-8-0 | 0-1 |
| 2021 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 7-10-0 | 0-0 |
| 2020 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 12-4-0 | 0-1 |
| 2019 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 11-5-0 | 1-1 |
| 2018 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 10-6-0 | 0-1 |
| 2017 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 9-7-0 | 0-0 |
| 2016 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 10-5-1 | 1-1 |
| 2015 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 10-6-0 | 1-1 |
| 2014 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 12-4-0 | 2-1 |
| 2013 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 13-3-0 | 3-0 |
| 2012 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 11-5-0 | 1-1 |
| 2011 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 7-9-0 | 0-0 |
| 2010 Seattle Seahawks | Head Coach / Executive Vice President / Executive Vice President of Football Operations | 7-9-0 | 1-1 |
| 2009 USC Trojans | Head Coach | 9-4-0 | |
| 2008 USC Trojans | Head Coach | 12-1-0 | |
| 2007 USC Trojans | Head Coach | 11-2-0 | |
| 2006 USC Trojans | Head Coach | 11-2-0 | |
| 2005 USC Trojans | Head Coach | 12-1-0 | |
| 2004 USC Trojans | Head Coach | 13-0-0 | |
| 2003 USC Trojans | Head Coach | 12-1-0 | |
| 2002 USC Trojans | Head Coach | 11-2-0 | |
| 2001 USC Trojans | Head Coach | 6-6-0 | |
| 1999 New England Patriots | Head Coach | 8-8-0 | 0-0 |
| 1998 New England Patriots | Head Coach | 9-7-0 | 0-1 |
| 1997 New England Patriots | Head Coach | 10-6-0 | 1-1 |
| 1996 San Francisco 49ers | Defensive Coordinator | 12-4-0 | 1-1 |
| 1995 San Francisco 49ers | Defensive Coordinator | 11-5-0 | 0-1 |
| 1994 New York Jets | Head Coach | 6-10-0 | 0-0 |
| 1993 New York Jets | Defensive Coordinator | 8-8-0 | 0-0 |
| 1992 New York Jets | Defensive Coordinator | 4-12-0 | 0-0 |
| 1991 New York Jets | Defensive Coordinator | 8-8-0 | 0-1 |
| 1990 New York Jets | Defensive Coordinator | 6-10-0 | 0-0 |
| 1989 Minnesota Vikings | Defensive Backs Coach | 10-6-0 | 0-1 |
| 1988 Minnesota Vikings | Defensive Backs Coach | 11-5-0 | 1-1 |
| 1987 Minnesota Vikings | Defensive Backs Coach | 8-7-0 | 2-1 |
| 1986 Minnesota Vikings | Defensive Backs Coach | 9-7-0 | 0-0 |
| 1985 Minnesota Vikings | Defensive Backs Coach | 7-9-0 | 0-0 |
| 1984 Buffalo Bills | Defensive Backs Coach | 2-14-0 | 0-0 |
| 1983 Pacific Tigers | Assistant Head Coach / Offensive Coordinator / Defensive Coordinator | 3-9-0 | |
| 1982 North Carolina State Wolfpack | Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs Coach | 6-5-0 | |
| 1981 North Carolina State Wolfpack | Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs Coach | 4-7-0 | |
| 1980 North Carolina State Wolfpack | Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs Coach | 6-5-0 | |
| 1979 Ohio State Buckeyes | Defensive Backs Coach / Secondary Coordinator | 11-1-0 | |
| 1978 Iowa State Cyclones | Defensive Backs Coach / Secondary Coordinator | 8-4-0 | |
| 1977 Arkansas Razorbacks | Graduate Assistant | 11-1-0 | |
| 1976 Pacific Tigers | Graduate Assistant | 2-9-0 | |
| 1975 Pacific Tigers | Graduate Assistant | 5-6-1 | |
| 1974 Pacific Tigers | Graduate Assistant | 6-5-0 | |
| 1973 Pacific Tigers | Graduate Assistant | 7-2-1 |
Coach history guide
| Seasons with a championship win | Seasons with a conference championship |
Coach facts
- Years as head coach: 18
- Years as a coordinator: 6
- Championships won: 2013
- Conference Championships won: 2013 and 2014
- First in total wins for the Seattle Seahawks.
- First in winning percentage for the Seattle Seahawks.
- Second in winning percentage for the New England Patriots.
- Most playoff wins in Seattle Seahawks history (10)
- Past teams coached for: Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills
- College Attended: Pacific Tigers
- Position Played: 0
- Family Members: Nate Carroll, Son and Brennan Carroll, Son
- Date of Birth: Saturday, September 15, 1951 (73 years old), San Francisco, California
- Carroll's salary is more than $11 million a year. He signed a contract extension after the 2018 season that will keep him with the Seahawks through the 2021 season.