By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

For Pete Carroll it was more than just about the wins

Halfway through his last press conference at a packed auditorium at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center former Seahawks  Pete Carroll said something that was the epitome of Carroll’s philosophy.   Carroll was asked if he had any regrets over his storied 14-year coaching career.

“There’s so many games. It’s the games. You know? Look at this season. We screwed it up and made Jason (Myers) have to kick a 55-yard freaking field goal to beat the Rams, in the wind — in an indoor stadium that was windy somehow or whatever it was,” said Carroll. “ How hard can you make it? Not winning the freaking Dallas game. Think of all the games we won in the exact same scenario. I think it’s third and two at about the 35 (yard-line). We don’t make that one. We don’t make the fourth-and-two. We let them off. We had them, in our minds. And it just got away. Yeah, I regret that. But there’s millions of games. That’s what I’m saying, there ain’t enough wins. As a coach there are not enough wins. We know right now there are not enough wins this season.

The interpretation is that early on Carroll knew that you can never have enough wins without a culture that is steeped in respect,  authenticity, hard work, and fun. Carroll had success in college creating such a culture.  When his cup runneth over at USC Carroll decided it was time to test this unique culture in the NFL.

“One of the things I’m most proud of in getting here is way back in the day when I called Tater (Carl Smith), and said we got a chance to go to Seattle. How about we take a shot and get up there. In maybe two or three years, they’ll give us a chance and then they’ll kick us out of here and we’ll see what happens. But I’d like to take the culture we had at USC and see what happens.”

What happened was 14 years of unprecedented success on the field in wins and off the field in young men turning to grown mature adults who were committed to making a difference in their communities.

CONTINUING TO EVOLVE

Creating a culture of respect, personal accountability and growth is one thing . To keep that unique culture from going stale is a monumental task Carroll was able to achieve.

“It’s constant, it’s a constant competition for me. And it’s like everything else is. And so you compete on a regular, everyday basis, Said Carroll. “Brian (Eayrs) asked trying to figure out what’s next for the guys and how can we keep them going, whether it was contest or shoot-offs or safe places, or whatever it took to just find ways to make it interesting and keep them guessing. Teaching environment. It’s teaching. We’re trying to keep the students alive and thriving in the moments. It’s a huge endeavor.”

Several players attended Carroll’s press conference to show their respect. The fact  that team captains  Bobby Wagner, Geno Smith, Quandre Diggs, and Tyler Lockett were some of the players in attendance speaks volumes to the impact that Carroll’s culture had on the team.

LOSING THE EDGE

While his connection to the players remained Carroll and his coaching staff’s message to the players began to lose its impact on the field. The players respected Carroll their commitment to self and ultimately the team wanned during the games and the result was a lack of execution.

“We lost our edge, really, the edge to be great, which was really how we ran the football and how we played defense. It wasn’t as good as it needed to be. You all get tired of me thinking I’m three yards and a cloud of dust. You guys don’t get it. I’m sorry about that. But it’s part of the whole cycle of what you do when you put a football team together, “ A reflective Carroll said. “

 We weren’t as clear in the last couple of years. It was just three years ago or four years ago, we were first in the league in rushing defense and fifth or sixth in rushing defense. We had back-to-back years there, which is one of the elements you need. You need some special qualities about your team that separates you and makes you an individual. And we kind of got in the mix too much. We weren’t high profiled enough in the crucial areas we needed to be. So it was just always a pursuit. Always chasing it and trying to get there.”

While he did not say it the truth is that certain players gave up on themselves and lacked a commitment to the team .

HIRING PROCESS

How long it will take for the Seahawks to hire Carroll’s replacement all depends on who they go after. If it is a current head coach or assistant coach on another team the NFL  has specific guidelines. According to the league’s website teams are prohibited “from conducting in-person Head Coach interviews with candidates who are employed by other NFL clubs until after the conclusion of all Divisional Playoff games.

Before the conclusion of Divisional Playoff games, hiring clubs are permitted to conduct in-person Head Coach interviews with candidates who are employed by the hiring club or who are not employed in the NFL.

If a candidate is still with an NFL team, nothing in person can happen until the week after the divisional round, or Jan. 22.

If a desired candidate is not employed by another NFL team the Seahawks would be able to conduct an in-person interview at any time.

BIG TAKE

Carroll’s on-field accomplishments are easily quantifiable, his record of 180 wins 131 wins and one tie ranks him tied for 12th in NFL History. His off-field impact is hard to put into words.  A love and deep understanding of the importance of players as human beings was like no other. His respect, commitment to competing, and growth are unmatched.

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