Report: Seattle Seahawks Courting Pete Carroll

NFL News - January 8th, 2010 - Written by John

After one of the most disappointing seasons of the decade, and the sudden departure of several key players, it would seem like a good time for USC's Pete Carroll to get out of Los Angeles.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that he is considering exactly that.

Just hours after it was announced the the Seattle Seahawks have fired head coach Jim Mora after just one season of service, Mortensen said that Carroll is on the team's radar as his replacement, and that there is mutual interest.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer added in a tweet that the team is prepared to offer the Trojan coach an "exorbitant amount" of money.

A source close to the situation told Mortensen that "it's going to happen", but Carroll responded in a text: "You know I haven't responded to a NFL question in two years".

Rumors floated that the team was looking for a coach with west coast ties, plus a relationship at the collegiate level, and Carroll fits that bill. Moreover, Carroll spent four years in the NFL as head coach of the New York Jets in 1994 and New England Patriots in the late 90s. He was fired in 2000 and then went on to built one of the most successful programs in the nation at USC, winning at least a share of the National Championship in 2004 and 2005.

But he was apparently feeling the heat at USC after the team failed to reach a BCS bowl for the first time in almost 10 years, and running backs Stefan Johnson and Joe McKnight announced they are leaving for the NFL.

What's more is the fact that McKnight was the center of a probe investigating whether or not the luxury SUV he was seen driving around on campus was given to him improperly. It was the second time in four years a star running back from the school had been investigated for receiving benefits.

Without a doubt, there would be no better time for Carroll to simply pack up and escape the noise than now.

Seattle will be a rebuilding project with an aging quarterback and a defense that ranked 24th in the league. It is 9-23 since the start of the '08 season, which is the year it broke a string of four-straight NFC West titles and it's NFL Playoffs streak.

There is currently no one in the general manager's office, so many are presuming Carroll would receive full control of the team from head to toe. He is said to be trying to court Trojan offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates to come with him.

The Seahawks have the sixth pick in the upcoming draft.

His career record with New England was 27-21, and he reached the playoffs once in 1997.