| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 11:13 pm |
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| RECENT POSTS: | |
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• Walter Jones says he's retiring on Twitter February 7 • Seahawks make a few front office moves February 5 • Seahawks announce coaching staff February 4 • A quick programming note February 2 • Patrick Kerney retiring? Not so fast January 29 |
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• Can NFL kill the golden goose? February 9 • Peppers doesn’t want long-term deal with NFL’s Panthers February 9 • NFL NOTEBOOK: Super Bowl beats ‘M-A-S-H’ February 9 • NFL’s future: Spotlight off the field February 8 • NFL NOTEBOOK: Super Bowl beats ‘M-A-S-H’ February 8 • Super Bowl is most watched TV show ever February 8 • Weight of years of losing is lifted off the shoulders of Saints February 8 • Done Dat: Saints beat Colts to win first-ever Super Bowl February 8 • Goodell: NFL would consider ban on 3-point stance February 7 • Buzz words from the Super Bowl February 7 |
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Walter Jones says he's retiring on Twitter Walter Jones wrote on Twitter.com today that he's decided to retire, saying: "I have came to the [conclusion] it is time for me to retire from football." There is indeed a good chance that Jones won't play again, but before we assume Jones is actually deciding to call it quits, it's important to remember that the left tackle has a history of messing with us on twitter. A while back he wrote about an important decision he had to make, then later admitted he was just deciding whether or not to see a movie. During the season, he tweeted about how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to something he loves, but when he talked to the media after the season, he said that was nothing and that he plans on trying to come back. So maybe Jones has decided to quit, but until we hear something more official--a team spokesman said today he hasn't heard anything about a Jones retirement--let's take this with a huge grain of salt. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Seahawks make a few front office moves Will Lewis, the Seahawks' director of pro personnel, has been promoted to vice president of football operations. Tag Ribary, a pro scout, was also promoted, taking Lewis' old title of director of pro personnel. The team also hired Trent Kirchner as the assistant director of pro personnel. Here's the full release from the team: Renton, Wash. – The Seattle Seahawks have promoted Director of Pro Personnel Will Lewis to Vice President/Football Operations, Pro Scout Tag Ribary to Director of Pro Personnel and hired Trent Kirchner as the Assistant Director of Pro Personnel, the team announced this morning. “This is an exciting time for the Seahawks as we are combining experience, talent and loyalty in order to increase our overall effectiveness,” said General Manager John Schneider. “These moves, in addition to the strong presence of Ruston Webster and John Idzik, should provide long-standing stability and leadership to the Seahawks front office.” All three employees have a background and working relationship with Schneider; working with Lewis in Green Bay and Ribary and Kirchner in Seattle and hiring the two in Washington. Lewis joined Seattle in his former role on May 20, 1999, following three years in the Green Bay Packers (1997-99) scouting department, where he worked with Mike Holmgren. From 1998-99, he served as the Assistant Director of Pro Personnel, following one year as a pro scout. Prior to Green Bay, Lewis was a defensive assistant coach for the Atlanta Falcons, under June Jones, from 1995-96. Lewis signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent cornerback from Millersville (Pa.) State in 1980. He played in 26 games returning 45 kickoffs for a 21.4-yard average and 56 punts for an 8.0 average, including a 75-yard touchdown. Ribary re-joined Seattle last season as a pro scout. He spent 11 seasons with the Seahawks from 1990-2000, serving the last three as the team’s assistant director of pro personnel. Following his time in Seattle, Ribary became the director of pro personnel for the Washington Redskins in 2001. The following season he moved to a pro scouting role with the Carolina Panthers, where he remained through the 2007 season, helping Carolina reach Super Bowl XXXVIII. Kirchner began his NFL career as a communications intern for Seattle in 2000. He then moved on to the Washington Redskins as college scouting coordinator in 2001 and has spent the last eight seasons as a pro scout for the Carolina Panthers. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Seahawks announce coaching staff Most of these hires have been known for some time now, but the Seahawks announced today the finalized coaching staff under Pete Carroll. The group includes retained defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and defensive line coach Dan Quinn. Seven members of the coaching and strength and conditioning staff worked for Carroll at USC. Here are the coaches bios on the Seahawks Web site. OFFENSE Coordinator: Jeremy Bates Spent last season as Carroll’s offensive coordinator at USC, and Carroll has called him “one of the young, unbelievably bright minds in the NFL.” Prior to his stint at USC, Bates, 33, was an assistant coach for the Denver Broncos (2006-08), New York Jets (2005) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002-04), working under Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden and Jeff Fisher. A quarterback at Tennessee and Rice, Bates coached the position for all three teams. His father, Jim, is a long-time NFL coach who has served as defensive coordinator for the Falcons, Dolphins, Broncos and Bucs. Quarterbacks: Jedd Fisch Spent last season as the offensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota. Fisch, 33, broke into coaching in 1998 with the New Jersey team in the Arena League and then was a graduate assistant for two seasons at the University of Florida. He has since coached in various capacities for the Houston Texans (2001-2003), Baltimore Ravens (2004-07) and Denver Broncos (2008). He coached wide receivers with the Broncos and wide receivers and quarterbacks with the Ravens. Running backs: Sherman Smith You can go home, after all – even if the team has a new home. Smith, 55, was a second-round pick in the Seahawks’ inaugural draft in 1976 and the team’s leading rusher in its first four seasons. He returns to coach the position after working at Redmond Junior High and Redmond High School and college stints at Miami (Ohio), his alma mater, and Illinois. Smith then coached running backs for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (1995-2007) before spending the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator on Jim Zorn’s staff with the Washington Redskins. Wide receivers: Kippy Brown He has coached, and coached for, an impressive group in his 31 seasons in college and the NFL. Brown, 54, has worked for Jimmy Johnson, Tony Dungy and Sam Wyche in the NFL and Johnny Majors and Phil Fulmer in the college. The players he has worked with include Peyton Manning, Andre Johnson, Mark Clayton, Anthony Miller, Tim McGee, Alvin Harper and Carl Pickens. His coaching career has taken the former college and high school QB to Memphis State (1978-80), Louisville (1982) and Tennessee (1983-89, 1993-94 and 2009), as well as the New York Jets (1990-92), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1995), Miami Dolphins (1996-99), Green Bay Packers (2000), Houston Texans (2002-05) and Detroit Lions (2006-08). Tight ends: Pat McPherson Coached tight ends for the Denver Broncos for two seasons (2007-08) after coaching the quarterbacks for four seasons (2003-06). His father, Bill, was a long-time coach and front-office man for the San Francisco 49ers. McPherson, 40, previously had coaching stints with the Broncos (offensive assistant 1999-2002; defensive assistant 1998); 49ers (defensive quality control 1996); and Bellarmine Prep (defensive coordinator 1994-97). Line: Alex Gibbs After coaching in college for 15 years – Duke, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio State, Auburn and Georgia – Gibbs, 68, took his zone-blocking scheme to the NFL. His pro stops included the Denver Broncos (1984-87 and 1995-2003), Oakland Raiders (1988-89), San Diego Chargers (1990-91), Indianapolis Colts (1992), Kansas City Chiefs (1993-94), Atlanta Falcons (2004-06) and Houston Texans (2008-09). Gibbs has been referred to as the guru, savant and Godfather of the zone-blocking scheme. Assistant line: Art Valero He was with the St. Louis Rams the past two seasons as assistant head coach/running backs (2008) and assistant offensive line (2009). Prior to that, Valero, 52, coached with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for six seasons (2002-07) and was assistant head coach the last two. He also has coached at Louisville (1998-2001), Utah State (1995-97), Idaho (1990-94), Iowa State (1983), Long Beach State (1984-86), New Mexico (1987-89) and Boise State (1981-82), his alma mater. With the Seahawks, he will assistant Alex Gibbs. Quality control: Luke Butkus He went to training camp with the Chicago Bears (2002) and San Diego Chargers (2003) and played one season at center with the Rhein Fire of NFL Europa (2003). Butkus, 30, was then a graduate assistant at Oregon (2005-06) and assistant offensive line coach with the Bears (2007-09). With the Seahawks, he will assist Gibbs and Valero, as well as handle the other duties that go with being a quality control coach. He is the nephew of Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus. Quality control: Dave Canales He was an offensive administrative assistant last season on Carroll’s USC staff. Prior to that, Canales coached at El Camino Junior College and Carson High School, where he worked with the wide receivers and tight ends. ________________________________________ DEFENSE Linebackers: Ken Norton Jr. The son of former heavyweight champion Ken Norton, it’s difficult to determine whether the younger Norton has left a bigger mark as a player or a coach. After averaging 8.8 yards rushing as a running back at Westchester (Calif.) High School, Norton, now 43, became a standout linebacker at UCLA and then in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers – winning three Super Bowl rings and being voted to three Pro Bowls. Since becoming the linebackers coach at USC in 2004, Norton’s protégés have included the Seahawks’ Lofa Tatupu , as well as the Bengals’ Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga, the Texans’ Brian Cushing, the Browns’ Kaluka Maiava and the Packers’ Clay Matthews. Defensive backs: Jerry Gray Like Norton, Gray, 47, had a Pro Bowl career before becoming a coach. A first-round draft choice in 1985 out of Texas, Gray played for the Los Angeles Rams (1985-91), Houston Oilers (1992) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993). He has been the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills (2001-05) and also coached for the Tennessee Titans (1997-2000) and Washington Redskins (2006-09) after coaching at Southern Methodist (1995-96). Assistant defensive backs: Kris Richard Like Sherman Smith, Richard, 30, entered the NFL as a Seahawks’ draft choice – third round in 2002. After three seasons with the Seahawks, he also played for the San Francisco 49ers (2005). Richard, who played at USC (1998-2001), joined Pete Carroll’s Trojans in 2008 as a graduate assistant. In this stint with the Seahawks, Richard will assist Jerry Gray in coaching the cornerbacks and safeties. Quality control: Rocky Seto Another member of Carroll’s USC staff, Seto, 33, was defensive coordinator last season after Nick Holt left to join Steve Sarkisian’s staff at the University of Washington. Seto has been with the Trojans since 1999, first as a volunteer assistant and later as a graduate assistant (2000) before coaching the safeties (2003), linebackers (2004-05) and secondary (2006-08). He also played linebacker for the Trojans (1997-98). His full name is Haruki Rocky Seto, and he’s named after boxer Rocky Maricano. ________________________________________ SPECIAL TEAMS Coordinator: Brian Schneider He also has coached tight ends, linebackers and safeties in college, but Schneider, 38, has always coached special teams. He broke into coaching at Colorado State (1994-2002), his alma mater, before moving to UCLA (2003-05) and Iowa State (2006). He coached special teams for the Oakland Raiders (2007-08) before joining Carroll’s staff at USC last season. Assistant: Jeff Ulbrich Yes, that Jeff Ulbrich, the former 49ers linebacker who retired last season after getting a severe concussion. Ulbrich, 32, was a third-round draft choice in 2000. Ulbrich went to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., last week looking for a coach job and found one. He will assist Brian Schneider, who was Carroll’s special teams coach at USC. ________________________________________ STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING Head: Chris Carlisle Another member of Carroll’s USC staff, Carlisle, 47, was the Trojans’ head strength and conditioning coach for nine years (2001-09). Prior to that, he was associate head strength and conditioning coach at Tennessee (1998-2000); offensive line coach and strength coach at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, (1997); head coach and strength coach at Subiaco (Ark.) Academy (1993-96); a strength and conditioning graduate assistant at Arkansas (1992-93); offensive line coach and strength coach at Blytheville (Ark.) High (1986-91); and head coach and strength coach at Dodge (Neb.) High (1985). Assistant: Mondray Gee After spending the past two seasons as a strength and conditioning assistant with the Green Bay Packers, Gee, 34, is part of a complete makeover of the Seahawks’ strength and conditioning staff. Prior to joining the Packers, he worked as a strength and conditioning assistant for the Detroit Lions (2001-07) and in many capacities at Michigan State University (1996-2001). Assistant: Jamie Yanchar Like Carlisle, Yanchar, also comes to the Seahawks from USC. Yanchar became the interim head strength and conditioning coach for the Trojans after Carlisle left, before deciding to follow Carlisle and Carroll to Seattle. Yanchar had been at USC since 1990. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
A quick programming note Hi folks. Just checking in since there hasn't been a lot of Seahawks news of late. This blog will probably be pretty quiet for a bit unless big Seahawks news happens, but don't worry, that doesn't mean I'll be slacking off. Next week I, along with Herald photog Jenny Buchanan, will be heading up to Vancouver to bring you all some exciting (let's hope anyway) Olympic coverage. Soon we'll have an Olympics blog started up, and they'll be plenty of fun stuff to read there, but for now that means less attention on the Seahawks. Also, for those of you into the Twitter, I finally relented and signed up. So from now on you can follow me at twitter.com/johnpboyle for Olympic news during this month, and Seahawks news in the future (and they'll be plenty of other random observations that have nothing to do with either. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Patrick Kerney retiring? Not so fast Well isn't that nice? I take a morning off, return to my computer this afternoon and a rumor has already started, then been squashed. Just to wrap things up in case you hadn't heard: Mike Florio of ProFootballtalk.com reported earlier today that Seahawks defensive end Patrick Kerney held a retirement party last week. Now don't get me wrong, ProFootballTalk.com has broken a lot of stories, many by Florio, but I might have to believe King 5 when it says, via Twitter.com, Kerney has not retired. Why believe King 5 over ProFootballTalk on this one? Well, somebody who works at King 5 happens to be engaged to Kerney, so I'd say that report is likely a credible one. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Carroll bringing up more friends from USC Pete Carroll has already hired offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., among others, from USC. According to Scott Wolf at the LA Daily News, we can add cornerbacks coach Kris Richards to that list, and perhaps also former USC assistant Rocky Seto, who Wolf reports has been offered a job as a quality control coach. Earlier this week, Carroll added . No word yet if the USC song girls are coming north as well. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Seahawks reportedly add a running backs coach, plus a few links A day after Pete Carroll confirmed a number of assistant coaching hires, it appears he's added one more. According to the Washington Post, the Seahawks have hired Sherman Smith, formerly the Redskins offensive coordinator, as the running backs coach. Not an ESPN insider but want to see who Mel Kiper has the Seahawks picking in his mock draft? Not a problem, because NFC West blogger Mike Sando has you covered here. And if you really don't want to even click on that link, I can tell you Kiper has the Seahawks picking Georgia Tech DE Derrick Morgan with the No. 6 pick, and Clemson RB CJ Spiller with at No. 14 And finally, this has been linked to a bunch of places already, but in case you haven't, it's worth watching for a quick laugh. In order to promote a fund raiser for his charity, A Better L.A., Carroll did this rather funny video recently: ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Carroll confirms coaching hires Pete Carroll's coaching staff is close to complete, and during today's press conference to introduce new general manager John Schneider, the new coach confirmed a number of the assistant coaches the team has hired. A few of the hiring still aren't complete, but the bulk of the staff has been assembled. These names have all come up in various reports, but it's worth listing them all since Carroll confirmed the hires today. Offense Jeremy Bates, offensive coordinator Alex Gibbs, offensive line Jedd Fisch, quarterbacks Pat McPherson, tight ends Defense Gus Bradley, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, defensive line Ken Norton Jr., linebackers Jerry Gray, secondary Brian Schneider, special teams ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Schneider and Carroll really, really like each other. They really do. The Seahawks introduced John Schneider as their new general manager today, and while he and new head coach Pete Carroll stopped short of hugging on stage, they along with team CEO Tod Leiweke made it abundantly clear that they expect this collaboration thing to work. Leiweke, who last week talked about a Seahawks future in which the GM and coach work in harmony, hold hands and sing (OK, I'm making up the holding hands and singing part), and today he talked about the "Amazing energy between the man to my left and the man to my right. . . They connected, they saw eye-to-eye." "We hit if off from the beginning," Carroll said of Schneider's interview last Tuesday. Schneider echoed that statement, saying "In our interview we really hit it off." So just to be clear, they hit it off. But as much as I'm making light of the situation, a good relationship between coach and GM will be crucial for the Seahawks moving forward. Unlike previous regimes, the GM won't have the final say when it comes to personnel decisions. "If someday there is a dispute, Pete will win the coin toss," Leiweke said. That sits just fine with Schneider, however. He explained that in his view, a GM should ultimately be picking players the coach wants. Schneider also said he was encouraged, not turned off, by the fact that the Seahawks hired Carroll coach before a GM. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Seahawks confirm GM hiring As was reported this morning first by ESPN, the Seahawks have hired John Schneider to be the team's next general manager. Here's the release put out by the team a few minutes ago: Seahawks Hire Schneider as General Manager Renton, Wash. – The Seattle Seahawks named John Schneider general manager, the team announced today. Schneider, 38, joins the Seahawks after spending the previous eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He served as personnel analyst to the general manager before being named director- football operations in 2008. Schneider broke into the NFL in 1992 as an intern with Green Bay before being promoted to pro personnel assistant the following season. He played a vital role in signing several free agents who helped the Packers make back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, including a Super Bowl XXXI victory. Schneider spent three seasons as director of player personnel in Kansas City (1997-99), one in Seattle (2000), and a year with the Washington Redskins as vice president of player personnel (2001). A graduate of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., Schneider played football for one season before a shoulder injury cut short his career. He and his wife, Traci, have two sons, Ben and Jack. Schneider will be introduced in a press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Seahawks reportedly to hire John Schneider for GM job ESPN reported this morning that Green Bay director of football operations John Schneider has reached an agreement to become the Seahawks next general manager. Schneider, 38, spent one season in the Seahawks front office in 2000 under Mike Holmgren. Schneider got his NFL start as an intern in the Packers front office in 1992 while still in college. He served as a pro personnel assistant for Green Bay from 1993-1996, and was then hired by Kansas City in 1997 to be the director of pro personnel. He also held front office jobs in Washington and Seattle before returning to Green Bay. No word yet from the team confirming this report. Based on what was described by Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke last week, Schneider would work side-by-side with new head coach Pete Carroll, with both reporting to Leiweke. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Report: Gray to coach Seahawks secondary ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting today that the . Gray previously held the same job with the Washington Redskins. Pete Carroll confirmed over the weekend in a radio interview that defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and defensive line coach Dan Quinn would be retained, and that he is also bringing linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. up from USC. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Some coaching, GM updates I hope you all are having a nice Saturday watching some Husky basketball, playoff football, etc. (and if you're trying to get in the Winter Olympic spirit, there's some ski racing and figure skating on TV today too). But since this blog is dedicated to Seahawks coverage, let's see what's going on with a team that won't be playing games any time soon. It was reported Thursday that the GM search was down to two candidates, with Floyd Reese being the front runner, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says not so fast on that. Florio reports that Reese has hurt himself by "blabbing to the media," so he may not land the job after all. Also, FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer said any lists of finalists for the job are premature because Paul Allen has gotten more involved with the interviews. As for Pete Carroll's coaching staff, the new Seahawks coach confirmed on SIRIUS NFL radio yesterday that current defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and defensive line coach Dan Quinn will keep their jobs: "Well, fortunately, Monte Kiffin's #1 guy the last few years is a guy named Gus Bradley. He was here, he came in here just his first year in Seattle, so he's here with us to help us maintain a continuity in the philosophy and the system and all that stuff. Gus is a heck of a coach. He's fired up and he's really bright. That gives me great continuity to be able to do the things I want to do and have a great basis as the leader in that group. We're putting together, I think, an amazing staff. Kenny [Norton]'s going to be there. Dan Quinn is going to stay with us, too, who coaches the defensive line in the same system. And we'll add another guy, the secondary coach is just lights out. You'll see in a couple of days when we announce it. And so that gives me the freedom to do the things that I want to do and help out but yet also have great leadership in the room so these guys can take the reins and run with it." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Report: GM search down to two, including Reese ESPN's John Clayton is reporting that the Seahawks general manager search is down to two finalists, and one of the two is former Titans GM Floyd Reese. Reese is the most experienced candidate the Seahawks are considering, as Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross, Omar Khan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and John Scheider of the Green Bay Packers all fit the bill of up-and-comers. Reese and the unnamed other finalist will reportedly interview again with Paul Allen. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Just who is in charge here? So on Monday, Tod Leiweke painted the picture of a collaboration between Pete Carroll and the yet-to-be hired GM. But during his press conference Tuesday, Carroll certainly talked like a guy who was going to be calling the shots. "Let me compare it to what I’ve just come from," Carroll said, referring to USC. "Where you have an organization where the people absolutely believe in who you are and what you’re all about and they want you to take your philosophy and embrace the entire organization with it, that’s what this is. They have embraced my approach and the way I see things and the way I want to do stuff in a manner that they want to wipe the path clear and give me the clearest opportunity to bring everything that I have to offer. That’s really what I was looking for. It was the trust and the belief from the top of the organization. They don’t have an agenda of how they want their football played. They want me to do that, and that’s exactly and precisely what I was looking for." "In other situations around the league, there isn’t always that level of communication from the top down, and there isn’t always that willingness to give you the opportunity to do exactly what you feel and how you express your abilities. That’s what I was given here and I can’t tell you how excited I am about that. That is what I had at SC and it is where I found my best success. When I had the kinds of opportunities to factor into all aspects of it and there was one single voice about what the football was going to be like and there was one place to go, one door to knock on for the players, they knew exactly who was calling the shots, they knew what’s up. And that is what gives me the best chance to be the best that I can be. I was not going to go anywhere where I couldn’t put myself in that situation. I feel exactly comfortable and free to tell you that’s how this is going to work." Clear path? One voice? Sounds like Carroll is going to be the man in charge? "We’re going to work that all out," he said. "We’re going to work that all with the lucky guy that gets to come to this organization. We’ll figure that out based on his background and what’s best for us and it will all be worked out. I have tremendous comfort in telling you that we’ll find the very best way to orchestrate that." All right then. What do you say about this, Mr. Leiweke? "We’ve got varied candidates coming up here, so what we’ve all said is that we’re going to see ultimately what the candidate it is," he said. 'Here’s one of Pete’s privileges though: he’s going to sit in all of the interviews with the candidates, and his voice is going to count in a significant way. If we hadn’t given him that kind of authority, I don’t think he would have come, because Pete’s not yesterday’s lunch. This was a man recruited by multiple other teams who ultimately chose to come our way in part because he wanted to make sure that he had a good feeling. It could be that, the coin toss, Pete ends up getting the final vote. It ultimately depends on the candidate we get here. . . If there’s any disagreement. Ultimately I’m confident I’m going to get everybody to collaborate and we’re going to land on the right issues." Hmmmm. . . should be interesting. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Pete Carroll press conference Pete Carroll spoke to the Seattle media for the first time since his hiring was announced, and boy did he talk. The former USC coach opened his press conference with an 11 minute, 42-second monologue before taking a single question. Here are a few highlights from that: "As this opportunity presented itself, I just could not pass up the chance to come here," he said. "It’s just an amazing opportunity. I’ve always love the NFL so much—I loved my time in college football—but always I had a thought that maybe it could come together in a manner that would fit right, that would give me a chance to do things the way I want to do it, and it’s come together." So what will a Pete Carroll-coached team look like? "If you watch our team play you’re going to see great effort. If you watch our team play you’re going to see great enthusiasm. We’re going to play this game like it’s supposed to be played, like you love the game of football and it shows in the way that you bring it from day to day. I want to see a very, very tough football team from the word go, and that’s critically important for us. And I want you to see a team that plays smart." Carroll downplayed the difference of coaching in the NFL vs. College. "They’re the same guys, they’re the same people, they’re just a little bit older." He also talked about how his nine years at USC shaped him as a coach, "At USC I had an opportunity to be in charge of the entire program and have the expectations of evaluating and analysis and managing in a manner that I think has prepared me for this opportunity in a way that I hope will very successful." As for the GM search, something he will be involved in, Carroll said, "This is an enormous decision for us, and it’s a process that we’ll go through together. I’m thrilled to be part of this process that will be extremely instrumental to our future. The whole process of finding our talent, the process of making it fit with the coaching and the style of our play and being intricately involved in that is hugely important to me. Carroll used CEO Tod Leiweke's word of the day from yesterday, collaboration, talking about how structure of the front office would work, but gave hints that he took the job in large part because he was getting a lot of power. "Really, the reason that I’ve decided to come here is that I understand from the organization that I will be intricately involved in all aspects of that. So that’s something that will give me a chance to be the best that I can be." He also acknowledged that the challenge of fixing the Seahawks won't be easy, saying he doesn't know how long it will take. "I know it’s going to be hard," he said. "I know it’s going to be difficult and people from where I come from want to say, ‘Gosh, why would you do that when win all the time in college football and here you’re going into the meat grinder of the NFL?’ I’m ready. I couldn’t be more prepared for it, I couldn’t be more excited about it, and I can’t wait to get started." Carroll then fielded questions for another half hour. More on that in a little bit. . . ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Carroll presser coming up Just a reminder for those of you near a TV or radio that Pete Carroll's introductory press conference is at 10 a.m. And while you're waiting, here's a little reading from this morning. We had this story on Carroll's hiring and what his role will be, as well as a a look at Jim Mora's reaction to his firing. Also, be sure to check out a rather hilarious look at this whole situation courtesy of Jerry Brewer at the Seattle Times. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment
Report: Seahawks targeted Tony Dungy According to this ESPN report the Seahawks contacted former Colts coach Tony Dungy about becoming the team's next president. Dungy turned the Seahawks down, saying he wasn't ready to return to football. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Leiweke on Carroll hiring: "A new era for Seahawks football" Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke talked for a while this afternoon about the hiring of the team's new head coach, Pete Carroll. Carroll, who will be introduced in a press conference tomorrow at 10 a.m., will be the team's head coach and VP of football operations and "is going to sit independent of the general manager." Leiweke said Carroll and the yet-to-be hired general manager will work "shoulder to shoulder" and will report to Leiweke, as will current VP of football administration John Idzik, who handles negotiations and salary cap issues. "What we're doing here is a clean slate," Leiweke said. "A new era for Seahawks football." Carroll will control the 53 man roster, and Leiweke will have the final say in disputes should they arise between his shoulder-to-shoulder GM and Carroll. Carroll will also sit in on the interviews with the "four or five" GM candidates lined up for interviews. And while owner Paul Allen will have final say, Leiweke said Carroll's opinion will be weighed when it comes to making that hire. Leiweke is confident an approach of GM and coach working together will be a successful model, and admitted that the relationship between Mike Holmgren and Tim Ruskell wasn't the healthiest one. As for why Carroll was the guy, Leiweke talked about Carroll's record in college football, praised the former USC coach's organization in their interviews, and said that it was "clear to me this man has a chip on his shoulder" about his pervious head coaching jobs. Asked about the firing of Mora, Leiweke said the way the team finished the season was a factor in the firing, and that after winning nine games in the last two years, "the status quo simply was not an option." Leiweke also disputed what Mora said on a radio interview today when the former coach said the decision to fire him was made by owner Paul Allen alone. Leiweke described the decision an organizational one that Allen was on board with. Leiweke also said he spoke to several officials at USC regarding the ongoing NCAA investigations of the program and said, "We would be very surprised if his name ever gets associated with that in any way." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Seahawks announce Carroll hiring After days of reports and speculation, the Seahawks made it official Monday that Pete Carroll is the team's next head coach. The statement from the team lists no title for him beyond head coach. Here's the release from the team: Seahawks Agree to Terms with Pete Carroll Renton, Wash. – The Seattle Seahawks and Pete Carroll have agreed to terms on a contract for Carroll to be the next head coach, the team announced today. He will be the eighth head coach in Seahawks history. “We are excited to add Pete as our coach. He brings a great passion for winning and a positive attitude that is contagious,” said CEO Tod Leiweke. “We now turn our full attention to the hiring process for a general manager. Our intended structure is for Pete and the new GM to work in a collaborative capacity on football matters.” He returns to the NFL after spending the previous nine years as head coach at USC, where he won seven consecutive Pac-10 titles (2002-08), two national championships and led the Trojans to a 97-19 record. Carroll began his NFL career as defensive backs coach for Buffalo (1984) and Minnesota (1985-89) before becoming the New York Jets defensive coordinator (1990-93) and head coach (1994). He spent two years as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator (1995-96) before leading New England to a 27-21 record and two playoff appearances as head coach (1997-99). Carroll’s overall head coaching record is 33-31 in the regular season and 1-2 in the postseason. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment Carroll interview in the LA Times Los Angeles Times reporter Gary Klein caught up with Pete Carroll this morning to talk to the soon-to-be Seahawks coach. Carroll told Klein that he had "given up on" returning to the NLF, but that the Seahawks offer "came out of nowhere." The report said Carroll is expected to sign a five-year deal today, and that Carroll will be introduced in Seattle tomorrow. He is expected to meet with his team today. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment |
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