Tag: raiders head coach

Pete Carroll’s USC approach to building Raiders could signal quick turnaround

Raiders new head coach Pete Carroll sees similar situation in Las Vegas as when he took over at USC. Offering insight into his plans.

It was 30 years ago when Pete Carroll got his first head coaching gig. In four seasons with the Jets and Patriots, he found himself hovering around .500 and not seeing any progress in the win column.

It wasn’t until he took over as the head coach at USC that Carroll really had success. And it happened quickly.

His second season, the Trojans went he Orange Bowl and finished as the fourth ranked team in the nation. And Carson Palmer was a breakout super star.

In Carroll’s third season, the Trojans finished as the number one ranked team in the country. A season later, they were National Champions.

In his introductory press conference on Monday, Carroll pointed to his experience at USC and in Seattle as proof he knows how to take a struggling program and raise it to another level. Which is just what the Raiders are looking for him to do.

“I’ve had great opportunities to start up programs that have faltered in the past,” said Carroll.

“I look back at the days in Los Angeles, at SC, as really the building blocks of the philosophy that we were able to take to Seattle . . . in both situations, it just took us a couple years to get going. I know that rhythm, and I am expecting that rhythm. I’m anticipating that we’re going to find that rhythm right here, right now, here in Vegas. With the Raiders and this opportunity, I feel like I’ve been there before, and I’m going to bank on that.”

He then reiterated and emphasized how similar he sees the situation in Las Vegas in an interview with the What the Football podcast the following day.

“It’s very similar. And I’m hoping the commonality of the challenge will bring out the best in us,” Carroll said of the Raiders job compared to the USC job.

The veteran head coach’s work helping turn Carson Palmer’s career around in particular should have Raiders fans feeling a rare sense of hope after spending the better part of the last decade yearning for a quarterback situation they could be legitimately excited about.

“The Carson Palmer story, that’s an amazing story that was at the start and at the heart of our unveiling of how we did things,” Carroll continued. “And how we dealt with people and how to turn things around. Because Carson was really struggling back in that time. And it took us a year, but by the second year he won the Heisman, he was the first player in the draft picked. He was always worthy of that physically. He was capable. But it hadn’t come to fruition for him.”

What Carroll did to aid the likes of Palmer and Russell Wilson and Geno Smith to have success offers some insight into how he plans on doing the same with the Raiders.

“All of what it took to get that done wasn’t just Carson,” Carroll added. “It was building the team around him and creating the balance that good teams have that you can count on and they take care of the football and they use the clock well, and they run the football, and they have the fourth quarter to show off that running game, to finish games off with consistency. All those things that help the quarterback be successful.

“Here it is again. We have to do that again. And we don’t know who the quarterback is right now, we’ll figure that out, but it’s going to come from the same source of creating a really good team around that position. Everybody thinks it’s just that guy. It isn’t. It’s the whole thing. You have to create the support system that allows you to be really uncommonly consistent.”

He’s right. A quarterback is only as successful as his coaching and the team around him. It’s the reason Patrick Mahomes keeps making Super Bowls while Josh Allen falls just short. Mahomes has better coaching.

Make no mistake, however, this doesn’t mean Carroll is of the mind that he can win with just anyone at QB so long as that QB has a good team around him. He said it isn’t JUST that guy. But it is ALSO that guy. And the Raiders don’t have that guy…yet.

That being said, the Raiders need a lot more than that guy. So, Carroll’s task will be finding his quarterback while also making sure that guy is set up for success.

He had that guy at USC in Carson Palmer, who he noted had all the tools. And Matt Leinart after that. And Mark Sanchez after that.  The result was seven-straight years ranked in the top four in the nation, six Bowl wins, and a National Championship.

That’s to say nothing of his two trips to the Super Bowl and hoisting the Lombardi in his fourth season with the Seahawks.

The track record is there. Offering plenty of excitement that, even at the age of 73, he can do the same with the Raiders.

Raiders to introduce new GM John Spytek, HC Pete Carroll Monday

The Raiders next head coach and general manager will have their introductory press conference Monday, January 27.

The Raiders have already made it official their new general manager John Spytek and new head coach Pete Carroll. The next step is a formal press conference. And now that is set as well.

Monday, January 27

• 11:00 a.m. (approx.) –General Manager John Spytek and Head Coach Pete Carroll introductory press conference in team room at Intermountain Health Performance Center.

Spytek joins the Raiders after several years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as assistant general manager.

Carroll returns to coaching after a year away. He has 18 years of NFL head coaching experience, the last 14 years as head coach of the Seahawks.

The two of them will get their turn behind the table with the Raiders three Super Bowl trophies, with the franchise hopes of adding to their trophy case.

Previous head coach/GM combos for the Raiders included:

Antonio Pierce/Tom Telesco
Josh McDamiels/Dave Ziegler
Jon Gruden/Mike Mayock
Jack Del Rio/Reggie McKenzie
Dennis Allen/Reggie McKenzie

AFC West now has absolutely legendary lineup of head coaches

Andy Reid started it all. Long been one of the most respected NFL coaches. Comes to the Chiefs and turns them into a power house. And for several years, it was Reid and the Chiefs and everyone else. That changed two years ago when the Broncos hired …

Andy Reid started it all. Long been one of the most respected NFL coaches. Comes to the Chiefs and turns them into a power house. And for several years, it was Reid and the Chiefs and everyone else.

That changed two years ago when the Broncos hired Sean Payton as head coach. Then the Chargers joined them last year, hiring reigning National Championship winning head coach Jim Harbaugh. Leaving the Raiders as the stragglers.

Not any more.

Friday the Raiders signed Pete Carroll to a three-year deal to become their head coach. Completing and AFC West makeover of head coaching and giving the division the most legendary foursome of head coaches you’ll ever see.

Between the four of them, you have 20 Conference Championships and nine Super Bowl appearances.

Here’s how that stacks up:

Stats Andy Reid Sean Payton Pete Carroll Jim Harbaugh
Conf Champ gms 12 3 2 3
Super Bowls 5 1 2 1
Super Bowl wins 3 1 1 0

Carroll’s playoff record (11-11), Super Bowl appearances (two), and Super Bowl wins (one) are all second only to Andy Reid in the division.

And you can throw in a College Football National Championship, which he and Harbaugh both have.

It took a while, but the Raiders feel like they can finally compete with the rest of the AFC West in the legendary head coach department.

Raiders head coach Pete Carroll will pull double duty as USC professor

Pete Carroll is not giving up his new teaching job at USC just because he was hired as Raiders head coach.

Pete Carroll was out of football last season. Seemingly retired from coaching after 40 years in the NFL. As such, he took on a new role — college professor.

It was announced last December he would be co-teaching a course at USC Marshall called ‘Game is Life’. Six weeks later, he was back in the NFL as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Many assumed that meant his new teaching job would be put on hold. But apparently that’s not the case.

According to Ryan Kartje at the LA Times, Carroll will continue his new teaching gig at USC while also coaching the Raiders.

For as many people who are critical of his ability to be a head coach at the NFL level at the age of 74 — becoming the oldest ever NFL head coach — I guess age is what you make it because even at 73, Carroll’s got the energy to multitask.

With Pete Carroll as Raiders head coach, could QB Russell Wilson come to Las Vegas?

Could we see a Pete Carroll/Russell Wilson reunion in Las Vegas? Wilson is being called a name to watch.

Over the past few hours, the Raiders ended their searches for a general manager and head coach. Reports have John Spytek signing a five-year deal to become the next GM and Pete Carroll signing a three-year deal to become the next head coach.

With Carroll’s hiring, the questions immediately began about what he might do to answer the questions at quarterback. Namely, could there be a Russell Wilson reunion in Las Vegas?

The former Pro Bowler is set to be a free agent this offseason.

The Athletic’s Jeff Howe got it started, calling Russell Wilson a “name to watch” for the Raiders.

A bit later, Peter Schraeger posted a picture of Wilson and Carroll while with the Seahawks, adding “Thoughts Raiders fans?” To which NFL media’s Ian Rapoport noted that Wilson wanted to come to the Raiders last offseason.

Wilson played under Pete Carroll for ten years in Seattle. Including many successful years which led to nine Pro Bowls for Wilson and two NFC Championships and a Super Bowl win for the Seahawks.

But 2019 was the last time either won a playoff game and by 2021, Carroll was ready to move on form Wilson. Subsequently trading him to the Broncos.

He was not the Russell Wilson of old in his two seasons in Denver and they ended up cutting him and paying him more money to play for the Steelers, while the Broncos became a playoff team again with Bo Nix at QB.

Wilson started the final 11 games for the Steelers and went 6-5 in the regular season, helping to lead Pittsburgh to the playoffs.

All that is to say, what he offers now at the age of 36 would certainly be better than anything the Raiders have gotten at QB in the past couple years at least. But certainly not what they should be settling for rather than going out and trying to land a long term, franchise quarterback.

4 head coach candidates for Raiders and 4 teams competing for them

The top candidates still out there in whom the Raiders have shown interest and the NFL teams which still have head coach vacancies.

We’re approaching the third week that the Raiders have been without a head coach. They have had several interviews, but as of now have yet to find their guy.

They’ve watched as three different coaches in whom they have expressed interest have taken head coach positions elsewhere. So, on down the list they go.

There are currently four teams still looking for a head coach — Raiders, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Dallas Cowboys (though reports say they are leaning toward current OC Brian Schottenheimer to take the job).

These teams will be fighting over the top candidates this cycle.

Here are the top four the Raiders are looking at.

Former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll

The 73-year-old former longtime head coach is looking to get back to it. He had a successful 14-year run with the Seahawks that included a Super Bowl win and two NFC Championships. He also had head coaching stops with the Patriots, Jets, and USC Trojans. He had an interview with the Raiders last week.

Ravens OC Todd Monken

One of the most respected coordinators in the NFL. He has spent six years as an OC in the NFL, including three with the Buccaneers (2016-18) and the past two with the Ravens. In between, he was the OC at Georgia when they won two National Championships and where he coached Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. The Raiders have requested an interview with him, but none has yet been reported.

Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo

Spagnuolo was a head coach for three seasons with the Rams (2009-11). He went 10-38 in those seasons and hasn’t gotten a second shot since. But his six seasons as DC in KC has him once again being talked about as head coach material. The Raiders had a virtual interview with him and should they not jump the gun and hire a head coach before the Chiefs exit the playoffs, you’d figure an in-person interview with Spagnuolo would follow.

Former Jets HC Robert Saleh

Saleh went 20-36 over four seasons with the Jets and was fired five games into last season despite a decent 2-3 record. The fact that the previously highly respected DC is getting many interviews now is a testament to the respect he still has in league circles.

Other available candidates whose names who have frequently come up for head coaching jobs this cycle include: Bills OC Joe Brady, Eagles OC Kellen Moore, and Broncos DC Vance Joseph.

Patriots HC Mike Vrabel saying Josh McDaniels is on “long list” of OC candidates is kind of hilarious

It doesn’t sound like Josh McDaniels is not on the short list for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel’s next offensive coordinator.

Hey, I may just be reading tea leaves here, but the way Mike Vrabel answered a question about whether he is considering Josh McDaniels as his offensive coordinator just seems hilarious to me.

The new Patriots head coach had his introductory press conference this week. One of the questions was about how former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski suggested Vrabel’s first call should be to Josh McDaniels to fill the offensive coordinator position.

At first he gave a stock answer filled with those great coach speak cliches.

“Um, yeah – I’m gonna look at every possible candidate that I feel like can help us,” said Vrabel.

The reporter pressed him further, asking if McDaninels is “on the list” and this is where it got funny.

“Yeah,” Vrabel responded. “It’s a long list. There’s a long list, and, you know – I’ve had a relationship with Josh, and I’ve had relationships with other offensive coaches and defensive coaches that we’re going to interview and wanna bring in here.”

It just seems hilarious to me that the only way he could say McDaniels was on the list is to add that it’s a LONG list. As if to say, he’d have to work his way down that list to get to McDaniels’ name.

Most coaches this might not be the interpretation here, but McDaniels is not known for being well liked. Despite the Patriots success with him as OC (and their success without him as OC), he burned through two head coaching stints with the Broncos and Raiders without making it through his second season with either team.

When he was fired by the Raiders, the players literally had a cigar party.

I hope to Vrabel’s sakc he does have a long list of names ahead of McDaniels and one of them accepts before he has to make that call.

Just as one NFL head coach opening is filled, another opens up

Literally the moment the Patriots made it official with Mike Vrabel, the Cowboys head coach position opens up with Mike McCarthy out.

With the end of the NFL season last week, there became six open head coaching positions. With the news that Mike Vrabel was taking the job in New England, the list was expected to come down to five.

But literally at the same moment as Mike Vrabel was being introduced as the Patriots next head coach, another NFL job opened up.

The Dallas Cowboys have entered the chat.

With the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy unable to agree to terms on a new contract, McCarthy is out and the Cowboys are officially in the market for a new head coach. Thus bringing us back to six job openings.

The list is as follows: Raiders, Jets, Saints, Bears, Jaguars, and Cowboys.

Those are the teams who will now be competing with the available head coach candidates. Most of which have gotten a pretty big head start over the Cowboys, but that may not matter.

Raiders request head coach interview with Broncos DC Vance Joseph

With the Broncos out of the playoffs, the Raiders immediately looked to speak the man behind their defensive prowess this season.

It was one and done for the Broncos in the playoffs. And come Monday, the Raiders didn’t waste any time in requesting to interview with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for their open head coaching position.

The Broncos were third in the NFL in points allowed this season. And it was mainly due to their ability to dial up pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

They had a league-leading 63 sacks this season, including two players in double digits — Nik Bonito (13.5) and Jonathon Cooper (10.5). Then there was Zach Allen who led the league with an incredible 40 QB hits.

Joseph had been a head coach in Denver for two seasons in 2018-19. He went 11-21 over those seasons.

Keep up with all the news in our Raiders head coach interview tracker.

Patriots find their new head coach, removing themselves from Raiders competitors

With Mike Vrabel going to the Patirots, there are now just five teams with head coach openings — Raiders, Jets, Bears, Jaguars, and Saints.

Most looked at the list of teams with head coach openings this offseason and figured the Patriots were the team that could pretty much pick whomever they wanted. So, as long as they were still looking for a head coach, the other teams — including the Raiders — would seem to take a backseat to them.

Not anymore.

The Patriots have agreed to terms with Mike Vrabel to ge their next head coach.

This is a move most were expecting to happen. The former Patriots linebacker and Titans head coach took a year off from coaching and was considered possibly the most desirable head coach candidate available. Though most thought his return to coach for the team with which he once won a Super Bowl was the most likely scenario.

The Patriots did interview other candidates, including Ben Johnson, who is probably the number one head coach candidate among active coordinators.

Johnson held virtual interviews with both the Patriots and Raiders on Friday and the Bears and Jaguars on Saturday.

It’s very possible that the Raiders are the most inticing job opening of those three teams, being that Johnson would have the chance to build the team as he sees fit. He would have some say in who the next GM will be and whether he wants to try and find the new franchise QB this offseason or next.

The other two teams looking for new head coaches are the Saints and Jets.