Henderson, Nevada – The las vegas raiders And Pete Carroll They have reached an agreement The veteran coach will become the franchise’s head coach on a three-year contract with a fourth-year team option, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Carroll, who turns 74 on September 15, is one of three head coaches who have led the team to a USC national championship and a Super Bowl title (Seattle Seahawks). Barry Switzer (Oklahoma and… Dallas Cowboys) and Jimmy Johnson (Miami and 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 the Raiders’ owner. Mark Davis took over after his father Al Davis died in 2011 – Hue Jackson, Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano, Jack Del Rio, Gruden, Bisacchia, McDaniels and Pierce.
The winningest coach in Seahawks history, Carroll takes over a team in the midst of a rebuild. He had success at USC and Seattle in similar situations and quickly made both programs competitive. The Raiders are clearly hoping a rejuvenated Carroll can do it again. Taking a closer look, NFL reporters Paul Gutierrez and Brady Henderson answer four big questions about Carroll’s hiring. National reporter Jeremy Fowler explains what he’s hearing about the recruit, and draft analyst Matt Miller brings it to the draft. Finally, analyst Ben Solak evaluated the employee.
Why was Pete Carroll hired?
After having four head coaches since 2021, the Raiders need stability. Carol will provide that. Yes, he’ll be 74 this year, but he’s a 74-year-old, and his youthful enthusiasm and positive attitude not only lit up the Raiders’ facility when he interviewed in person, according to team sources, but they were also major selling points for him to get the gig.
Carroll’s veteran presence also meshes well with first-time general manager John Spitek. 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 stacks up nicely. Carroll is a known commodity, something the Raiders have missed as a head coach since Gruden resigned. Or did you miss Carroll’s Super Bowl XLVIII title, two NFC championships and 10 playoff appearances during his 14 years with the Seahawks? Few expect the Raiders to reach the postseason right away, but Carroll is expected to provide enough experience to make them respectable. -Gutierrez
How involved/influential was Tom Brady?
As much as you can expect from a minority owner who only owns about 10% of the team but has a large platform. Here’s a theory — perhaps Brady was actually more involved in hiring Spytek, his former college teammate at Michigan and former front office friend with the Buccaneers, as Raiders GM. The conspiracy theory is that if Brady gets his man at GM, he won’t be involved in the coach’s selection. Brady is a key player in the Raiders’ decision-making process now, but the final decision will always be up to owner Mark Davis. -Gutierrez
What is the most pressing issue facing Carol?
Who is the midfielder and when? Russell Wilson Are you going to come to Las Vegas and start doing high knees on a charter plane? I am a child. Kind of. Because while Aidan O’Connell Showing he can be serviceable, the Raiders need an upgrade in their now-existing AFC West division Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo Nicks. Wilson will undoubtedly be a bridge man, and we assume that based on the success and relationship Carroll and Wilson have had in Seattle.
With the No. 6 pick in the draft, it’s hard to see the Raiders being in a position to select the likes of Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Additionally, with Carroll being a defensive-minded coach, his selection as offensive coordinator would be a harbinger of the style he wants to employ with the first-team All-Pro. Brooke Powers at his disposal.
Defensively, Carroll will have to work with Spytek to decide on the pool of free agents on that side of the ball, from defensive ends Malcolm Coonce and Clavon Chaisson To the linebacker Robert Spillane and Divine Diablo To the back corner Nate Hobbs To safety Trevon Moehrig and Marcus Epps. But the Raiders have more than $108 million in salary cap space. -Gutierrez
What kind of coach does Las Vegas get at Carroll?
Culture builder and winner. Carroll helped develop a strong environment in Seattle, so much so that in searching for his replacement, Seahawks owner Jody Allen tasked general manager John Schneider with finding someone who could maintain it. Carroll brings the same upbeat energy every day, win or lose – a consistency that his players appreciate. They also loved how much he cared about veterans and made things fun, a big reason why he was considered the ultimate players’ 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, then returned after seeing that the grass wasn’t greener elsewhere.
Schneider has often said that one of Carroll’s biggest strengths is his ability to instill confidence, something that will come in handy for a young, rebuilding Raiders team. Carroll will try to win by relying on his running game and defense, a formula that has helped take the Seahawks to new heights. Popular criticism of Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin could also apply to Carroll, a former Super Bowl champion whose teams win regularly but haven’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 regarding hiring?
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 the Raiders could do after losing Ben Johnson, who became the team’s head coach. Chicago Bears. Carroll can offset questions about his age with energy, and he’ll also have a shorter contract than most players. The prevailing belief was that Brady was targeting a defensive coach, and he always had deep respect for Carroll. While Carol may not be a long-term solution, it provides immediate credibility and could serve as a bridge to something bigger in the series. –Fowler
Will Carroll and the Raiders be able to find a new QB with the No. 6 pick 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 a quarterback. Six passers were off the board when they picked 13th overall in April. They instead drafted Bowers. 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 grades the best passers in that class.
Miami’s Ward is projected to be selected in the top five picks, possibly at No. 1. He is a dynamic dual-threat QB with great arm talent. Can you escape the past? Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants? This is unlikely. But then there’s Colorado’s Sanders. Some scouts believe he’s also a surefire 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 needing to trade. He is very accurate and can make all the throws.
Here’s where it gets tricky: There’s no consensus QB3 in this draft yet. There is a significant decline after Ward and Sanders. Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart, Texas’ Quinn Ewers and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe are all competing for the spot, but none of them are ranked in the top 40. The Dart comes in at the top of the list at No. 48 overall. It’s not advisable to reach for a quarterback at No. 6 if Ward and Sanders are off the board, so waiting the QB issue until draft day would be risky for the Raiders. — Miller
How do you rate this recruitment?
for. Carroll may not be a hire with a lot of fireworks and fun, but he’s exactly what the Raiders need. They needed a return to adulthood and culture to lead their organization — a man with experience, a proven track record, and a formula for winning. This will help pull them out of the rock bottom, where they’ve been the last few seasons, and back to a respectable level of contention.
Even if you think Carroll is washed-up and lacks schematic innovation — both of which I think are incorrect, because he’s done a lot of things differently in his last few years in Seattle — this could work. Carroll’s time in Seattle was cut short because he had 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
