Breaking: Seattle Seahawks coach announced his last year contract in….
SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks announced Wednesday that Pete Carroll was out as the head coach after 14 seasons.
Between making the playoffs during his first year and winning Super Bowl XLVIII, to his departure, here’s a look back at the most significant events during his career with the Seahawks.
Pete Carroll signed a five-year contract with the Seahawks in January 2010 after nine years at USC.
That same year the Seahawks made a playoff appearance despite having a 7-9 record. The Seahawks’ 2010 playoff run is most known for Marshawn Lynch’s 67-yard run to clinch a victory over the defending Super Bowl champions New Orleans Saints.
The fan reaction to the touchdown caused so much of a roar that it was picked up on seismic monitoring equipment in Seattle. The small earthquake was nicknamed the “Beast Quake.”
Seahawks sign Russell Wilson
In the 2012 NFL Draft, the Seahawks picked quarterback Russell Wilson in the third round, 75th overall. Wilson impressed Carroll and the organization during spring training camp, earning him his starting position over Matt Flynn.
The Seahawks went 11-5 in Wilson’s first season as quarterback and went into the playoffs as the No. 5 seed. The Seahawks were the only team in 2012 to go undefeated at home.
The Seahawks lost to the No. 1 seed Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round. Wilson went on to win the 2012 Rookie of the Year award.
In the 2013 season, the Seahawks tied the Denver Broncos for an NFL-best regular season record at 13–3 and earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
With Carroll at the helm and Wilson in the pocket, the Seahawks earned their first Super Bowl in franchise history against the Broncos in a 43-8 win on Feb. 2, 2014.
“I’m so proud we’re able to stand together right here at this moment,” Carroll said in a locker room speech after their win. “As close as we are right now we will never be separated in this moment. You guys did this together with these people in this room. Let’s make sure we always remember that. Gratitude for the guys right here that got this done. It wasn’t one guy. It was all of us together.”
Carroll became one of four coaches ever to win an NCAA championship and a Super Bowl.
The defending champs finished the 2014 season with a 12–4 record, again earning the team a No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The team went on to defeat the Carolina Panthers to become back-to-back NFC champions.
However, the Seahawks’ battle to become back-to-back Super Bowl champs came to an end on Feb. 1, 2015, when they lost 28-24 to Carroll’s old team the New England Patriots.
Seattle was nearing a game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter when Wilson infamously threw a back-breaking interception to Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler that sealed the game.
The “Legion of Boom” Seahawks would never make it back to the Super Bowl.
2022
Seahawks trade Russell Wilson
In March 2022, the Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos after he spent 10 years as the face of the franchise.
Carroll said earlier that month the team was not looking to move the quarterback, despite the move taking place days after. KING 5’s Paul Silvi reported Wilson had wanted out of Seattle for two seasons and “all good things must come to an end.”
The 2021 season was the first time in four years the Seahawks missed the playoffs and the first time they finished with a losing record since Wilson arrived.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter called the trade “one of the largest trades in NFL history.”
2024
Pete Carroll’s final season, departure
Seattle was expected to become more of a threat in the NFC West in the 2023 season, betting on a young team. Instead, the Seahawks finished in third place at 9-8 and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.
On Jan. 10, rumors began to slip online that Pete Carroll was out as head coach minutes before the Seahawks put out an official statement.
The statement from Seahawks Chair Jody Allen said the two sides agreed to amicably move on.
“It’s been an honor and a thrill to be a part of this program and I’ve loved every minute of it,” Carroll said. “And you’ve watched me love it, in particular.”
At age 72, Carroll was the oldest head coach in the NFL during the 2023 season. Carroll’s 14 years at the helm in Seattle was the fourth-longest in NFL history.
