Why the Raiders hired Pete Carroll as head coach

On By Littum

January 24, 2025, 1:08 PM ET

HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders and Pete Carroll have entered into an agreement for the veteran coach to become the franchise’s head coach on a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Carroll, who turns 74 on Sept. 15, is one of three head coaches to lead a team to both a college national championship (USC) and a Super Bowl title (Seattle Seahawks). Barry Switzer (Oklahoma and the Dallas Cowboys) and Jimmy Johnson (Miami and the Cowboys) are the others.

Carroll will also be the Raiders’ fifth coach, including interims, since the franchise moved to Las Vegas from Oakland in 2020, following Jon Gruden, Rich Bisaccia, Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce, and the team’s ninth coach, including interims, since Raiders owner Mark Davis took over after the death of his father Al Davis in 2011 – Hue Jackson, Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano, Jack Del Rio, Gruden, Bisaccia, McDaniels and Pierce.

The winningest coach in Seahawks history, Carroll takes over a team in the midst of a rebuild. He has been successful at USC and in Seattle in similar situations and quickly made both programs competitive. The Raiders, of course, hope a rejuvenated Carroll can do it again. Taking a closer look, NFL Nation reporters Paul Gutierrez and Brady Henderson answer four big questions about Carroll’s hiring. Nationals reporter Jeremy Fowler corrects what he’s hearing about the hire, and draft analyst Matt Miller spins it leading up to the draft. Finally, analyst Ben Solak assesses the hiring.

Why was Pete Carroll hired?

After running through four head coaches since 2021, the Raiders need stability. Carroll makes sure of that. Yes, he turns 74 this year, but it’s a young 74, and his youthful exuberance and positive attitude not only lit up the Raiders facility when he interviewed in person, according to team sources, but were also big selling points for him getting the gig .

Carroll’s veteran presence also meshes well with first-time general manager John Spytek. Carroll was the most accomplished coach still on the market, and in a division with coaches Andy Reid in Kansas City, Sean Payton in Denver and Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles, Carroll’s resume holds up well. Carroll is a known commodity, something the Raiders have lacked as a head coach since Gruden resigned. Or did you miss Carroll’s Super Bowl XLVIII title, two NFC championships and 10 playoff appearances in 14 years with the Seahawks? Few expect the Raiders to make the postseason right away, but Carroll is expected to provide enough experience to make them respectable. — Gutierrez

How much involvement/influence was there from Tom Brady?

As much as can be expected from a minority owner who only owns about 10% of a team but has a large platform. Here’s a theory — Brady may have actually been more involved in the hiring of Spytek, his former one-time college teammate at Michigan and former front office friend with the Buccaneers, as the Raiders GM. The conspiracy theory is that if Brady got his guy at GM, he wouldn’t be so involved in selecting a coach. Brady is a major player in the decision making for the Raiders now, but the final decision will always come down to owner Mark Davis. — Gutierrez

What is the most pressing issue for Carroll?

Who is the quarterback and when does Russell Wilson show up in Las Vegas and start kneeling on the charter flight? i boy Such. Because while Aidan O’Connell has shown he can be serviceable, the Raiders need an upgrade in an AFC West division that now has Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix. Wilson would undoubtedly be a bridge guy, and we make that assumption based on the success and relationship Carroll and Wilson had in Seattle.

With the choice no. 6 in the draft, it’s hard to see the Raiders being able to select the likes of Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Plus, since Carroll is a defensive-minded coach, his selection as offensive coordinator will be a harbinger of the style he wants to use with first-team All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers at his disposal.

Defensively, Carroll will have to go with Spytek to decide on the slew of free agents on that side of the ball, from defensive ends Malcolm Koonce and K’Lavon Chaisson to linebackers Robert Spillane and Divine Deablo to cornerback Nate Hobbs to safeties Tre von Moehrig and Marcus Epps. But the Raiders have more than $108 million in salary cap space. — Gutierrez

What type of bus does Las Vegas get in Carroll?

A culture builder and a winner. Carroll helped develop such a strong environment in Seattle that, during the search for his replacement, Seahawks owner Jody Allen mandated that general manager John Schneider find someone to maintain it. Carroll brings the same upbeat energy every day, win or lose — a consistency his players appreciated. They also loved how much he takes care of veterans and makes things fun, a big reason he’s considered the ultimate player coach and why the Seahawks went from an NFL outpost to a place players wanted to be during his tenure ; some Seahawks even left under dire circumstances and then returned after seeing that the grass wasn’t greener elsewhere.

Schneider often said one of Carroll’s greatest strengths is his ability to instill confidence, something that will be helpful for a young, rebuilding Raiders team. Carroll will try to win by leaning on his running game and defense, a formula that helped take the Seahawks to new heights. The popular criticism of Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin could also apply to Carroll, a former Super Bowl champion whose team regularly wins but hasn’t really competed for a title in a while. But his .599 winning percentage over 14 seasons (147-98-1, including playoffs) is nothing to scoff at. — Henderson

What are you hearing around the league on rent?

Carroll’s interview with Vegas went very well, with the Super Bowl-winning coach selling a vision for a team in transition. The feeling around the league is that this was probably the best thing the Raiders could do after missing out on Ben Johnson, who took the head coaching job with the Chicago Bears. Carroll can offset questions about his age with high energy and will also be on a shorter contract than most. The belief was that Brady was targeting a defensive coach, and he has always had deep respect for Carroll. While Carroll may not be a long-term solution, he provides instant credibility and can serve as a bridge to something bigger for the franchise. — Fowler

Will Carroll and the Raiders be able to find a new QB with the No. 6 in the 2025 draft?

It’s no secret that for the second year in a row, the Raiders enter the offseason with a need at quarterback. Twelve passers were off the board when they picked at no. 13 last April; they drafted Bowers instead. Whether a franchise QB will be available to them at No. 6 this year depends on whether early-picking teams decide to address the position before the draft and how each front office ultimately rates the top passers in this class.

Miami’s Ward is projected to be taken within the first five picks, potentially No. 1. He’s a dynamic dual threat with great arm talent. Could he slip past the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants? It is unlikely. But then there’s Colorado’s Sanders. Some scouts believe he’s also a safe top-five pick, while others give him a second-round grade. There is a possibility that Sanders — who worked with Brady last season — could be available to Las Vegas without the team having to trade. He is super accurate and can handle all throws.

Here’s where it gets tricky: There isn’t yet a consensus QB3 in this draft. There is a significant drop off after Ward and Sanders. Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Texas’ Quinn Ewers or Alabama’s Jalen Milroe are all in contention for that spot, but none are ranked in my top 40. Dart comes in the highest at no. 48 in total. Reaching for a quarterback at No. 6 if Ward and Sanders are both off the board, so it would be risky for the Raiders to wait on the QB question until draft day. — Miller

How would you rate this appointment?

B. Carroll may not be hired with lots of fireworks and joy, but he’s exactly what the Raiders need. They’ve needed a return to adulthood and culture to lead their organization — a guy with experience, a track record, a formula for winning. That will help pull them out of the gutter they’ve been in for the last few seasons and back to a respectable level.

Even if you think Carroll is washed up and lacks schematic innovation — both of which I’d argue are untrue since he did a lot of things differently in his last few years in Seattle — this could work. Carroll’s time in Seattle ended as he struggled with shaky personnel and a declining quarterback. Now, how he fills out his staff is a big question. He has a deep Rolodex, but does he know any young innovators? Other than that, this is a solid hire. — Solak