The coach who led the Seattle Seahawks to the only Super Bowl title in franchise history will no longer patrol the sidelines with gum-chewing fervor.
Pete Carroll is out as the Seahawks head coach after 14 seasons, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Wednesday.
The team later confirmed the news, adding that Carroll would remain with the organization as an advisor.
"After thoughtful meetings and careful consideration for the best interest of the franchise, we have amicably agreed with Pete Carroll that his role will evolve from Head Coach to remain with the organization as an advisor," owner Jody Allen said in a statement on Wednesday. "Pete is the winningest coach in Seahawks history, brought the city its first Super Bowl title, and created a tremendous impact over the past 14 years on the field and in the community.
"His expertise in leadership and building a championship culture will continue as an integral part of our organization moving forward.
"Pete will always be a beloved member of the Seahawks family."
Carroll said in a radio interview on Monday that he planned to coach the Seahawks next season, and he admitted on Wednesday he "competed pretty hard to be the coach, just so you know" when speaking with reporters. Carroll added that when he met with players the day after the regular season ended that he did not see this scenario happening.
“Since our last game I had a couple of chances to talk and first I shared my feelings about the team, about the organization … and my intentions to staying with the ‘Hawks, and that was true to the bone," Carroll said at the start of an emotional 35-minute news conference on Wednesday. "I want to make sure that that’s clear as things have shifted so quickly in most people’s perspective. It’s been an honor and a thrill to be part of this program. I loved every minute of it. … It’s exciting that there’s such a future here. You can see it. We know it’s happening. It’s bright and the club’s got great places to go. … The future is place. Following my season ending meetings with ownership and planning sessions it’s clear that – and for a variety of reasons – that we mutually agreed to set a new course for the club to take on new leadership. That’s just the decision that’s been made, and there’s a lot that went into that. … For all my guys I think you know how much I probably competed for our prospective and our standpoint.”
Though he's set to stay on as a team advisor in an unspecified role, Carroll did not deny he would seek another head coaching opportunity elsewhere.
"Have to wait and see," he said when asked about his head coaching future. "Today’s about today.”
In 14 seasons in Seattle, Carroll, who at 72 was the oldest head coach in the NFL, compiled a 137-89-1 record, taking the Seahawks to two Super Bowls, including demolishing the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII to lift the Lombardi Trophy.
Carroll's 137 wins since taking over Seattle in 2010 are fifth-most over that span and his 10 postseason wins ranks third.
The Seahawks hired Carroll in 2010 after the coach enjoyed legendary success at the University of Southern California.
Following consecutive 7-9 seasons to open his reign, Carroll's Seahawks soared skyward with abandon in 2012, behind then-rookie quarterback Russell Wilson and a band of young playmakers on defense.
The "Legion of Boom" squad, highlighted by Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Michael Bennett, Earl Thomas, Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Bruce Irvin and Frank Clark, among others, made Carroll's defenses maniacal to face during their run. Behind a stout rushing attack with Marshawn Lynch, Wilson's heroics, and a dominating defense, the Seahawks rolled their way to a Super Bowl victory in the 2013 season – the first championship in the franchise's history.
Seattle nearly made it back-to-back Super Bowl wins the following season, falling to the New England Patriots in the final seconds of Super Bowl XLIX on Wilson's end-zone interception. In the end, the "Legion of Boom" era amassed five consecutive playoff appearances (2012-2016), three division titles, two NFC championships and a Super Bowl XLVIII win. The Seahawks owned records of 56-23-1 in the regular seasons and 8-4 in the playoffs in that span.
Carroll maintained a competitive squad after the "LOB" era, producing three consecutive playoff-bound campaigns (2018-2020), however but he managed only one playoff win in that span as his defenses sagged in recent seasons.
Following a 2021 campaign that saw Carroll's first losing record in nearly a decade, the Wilson era came to an end when the QB was traded to the Broncos. But Carroll found success the following year with Geno Smith, who led the Seahawks to a wild-card berth along his Comeback Player of the Year campaign.
However, Seattle couldn't follow up with a similar postseason run in 2023, finishing 9-8 in back-to-back seasons.
Under Carroll's guidance, the Seahawks generated one Super Bowl, two NFC championships, and five NFC West titles. The club also went through thousands of pieces of chewing gum.
Spinning forward, Seattle will seek out its first head coach since Jody Allen took over for the late Paul Allen, her brother. Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who spent four seasons as an assistant in Seattle, including DC under Carroll in 2013-2014, is considered a strong candidate, per Rapoport.
The man leading that search will be general manager John Schneider, who's been the Seahawks' GM since 2010 side by side with Carroll. Now he'll be looking for his second head coach to work with and Carroll will be rooting him on.
"I'm so proud, I'm so excited for you to have this opportunity," an emotional Carroll said. "It's gonna be cool. It's always been a great marriage. It's just unforgettable and I'm just so grateful for that. Going forward, I'll be your biggest fan. I'll be right there for you."
And as Carroll gets ready for his next chapter, he wanted to make one thing clear: He is not done.
“I’m freakin’ jacked. I’m fired up. I’m not tired. I’m not worn down," Carroll said on Wednesday. "You guys tried your best, you didn’t wear me out. It’s the end of the season, I’m supposed to, you know, lay on a cot somewhere. I ain’t feeling like that. What’s coming? I dunno. I’ve got no idea, and I really don’t care right now. But I’m excited about it because there’s a lot to learn. There’s a lot to study. There’s some great discoveries that are going to come our way.”