Pete Carroll to return to USC this spring…as a college professor

Pete Carroll is returning to the USC Trojans, but not as a head coach. Instead he’ll head to the classroom to teach this spring.

Former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is not sure if, or when, he will return to the sidelines. But he is returning to USC, albeit in a different role: as a professor starting in the spring.

“I’m looking forward to that,” Carroll said on Sports Radio 93.3 KJR-FM on Tuesday. “It’s going to be a really exciting endeavor when it’s finalized and all that.”

USC confirmed Carroll’s role in a statement to the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, saying, “We are excited to welcome Pete Carroll home to USC in a new capacity in which he can, as a legendary coach and leader, share his knowledge and experience with our students.”

It’s not clear at this time what coursework Carroll will be teaching, but the 72-year-old has had an interest in working in education for a while and without a desire to get back into coaching – at least not right now – it isn’t a surprise to see him transition into a new endeavor.

Carroll was the head coach at USC from 2001 to 2009, going 97-19 and winning seven bowl games before moving on to the NFL where he led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship in 2014 and another appearance in 2015.