Among several shocking coaching decisions made in the NFL in the last week has been the Seattle Seahawks parting ways with their longtime head man Pete Carroll. Carroll spent 14 seasons in Seattle, finishing with a 137-89-1 record and a Super Bowl win in 2013. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay had numerous exciting battles with Carroll in their overlapping time in the NFC West.
McVay went 10-5 against Carroll in their time together in the division. That’s the most losses to an individual coach in Carroll’s historic tenure atop the Seahawks. But there remained an incredible level of respect between the two and that respect has carried as Carroll begins a new stage of his football journey.
McVay spoke about what Carroll means to him and how coaches like him make the league a better one.
“Yeah, what a great coach,” McVay said of Carroll. “What an amazing leader of people, the consistency at which he’s operated with…I got tremendous respect for him, just especially going against him in the division for the last seven years but I think a lot of the values and the principles that he has in terms of the energy, the competitiveness, the way that he pours into his players where you’re uplifting.
“I think what great coaches do is they make people they’re around and situations they’re a part of better and Pete Carroll is one of those guys that comes to mind when I mention that. The ultimate competitor.
“I think what I appreciate the most about him is as he navigated his coaching journey, being able to figure out exactly how they wanted to do things and man, did they have an identity with the teams that he’s coached with how they played, how they enjoyed the consistency, but also being at your best when your best was required. Coach Carroll is a stud and if I’m sitting up here being able to do that as long as he did, holy (expletive) will that be impressive.”
With Carroll gone, McVay becomes the longest-tenured head coach in the NFC West, beating out San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan by a four weeks. And Carroll now moves on to an undetermined role. Rumors have stated that Carroll may remain within the Seahawks organization as an advisor, but nothing has been made official in that realm.
Sean McVay praises Jared Goff for maturity
McVay also praised Detroit Lions quartervack Jared Goff ahead of their postseason matchup during Wild Card Weekend for the growth he’s made since being traded away from the Rams.
“Yeah, I think he played a really high level in the four years here with us but I think he, just like anybody, has just continued to mature,” McVay said.
