The greatest coach in Seattle Seahawks history is sticking around a while longer.
The Seahawks announced Tuesday evening they’ve agreed to a deal with head coach Pete Carroll on a contract extension that will keep Carroll in Seattle long term.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the the deal is a three-year extension that will keep Carroll in town through the 2019 season.
And what it means is the Seahawks have locked up the coach who brought the first Super Bowl championship to Seattle.
Carroll’s accomplishments as coach of the Seahawks are unrivaled. He compiled a 60-36 record in his first six seasons, with his .625 winning percentage being the best of any Seattle coach. He guided the Seahawks to consecutive Super Bowl appearances following the 2013 and 2014 seasons, winning it all with a dominating 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
The Seahawks reached the playoffs in five of Carroll’s six seasons in charge, reaching at least the Divisional round on every occasion. Carroll’s eight playoff coaching victories in six seasons is one more than Seattle’s previous 34 seasons combined.
Last season Seattle finished 10-6, despite a sluggish 2-4 start, and earned a Wild Card playoff spot. The Seahawks defeated the Minnesota Vikings 10-9 in the Wild Card round before bowing out in the Divisional round with a 31-24 defeat at the hands of the Carolina Panthers.
Carroll, at 64 years old, is the oldest head coach in the NFL. However, the Seahawks showed no reluctance in locking the energetic Carroll down for three more seasons.
It’s believed Carroll’s extension is in the range of $10 million per season, which would rival New England’s Bill Belichick for the NFL’s highest-paid coach.
The Seahawks have spent the week leading into training camp, which opens Saturday, tying up loose ends with their football operations staff. News of Carroll’s extension came two days after the Seahawks announced they signed general manager John Schneider to a contract extension that reportedly is for five years and extends through the 2021 season. Both Carroll and Schneider came on board with the Seahawks in 2010, and both were entering the final year of their contracts. Under Carroll and Schneider the Seahawks have become one of the NFL’s model franchises.
Carroll’s contract status had some in Seattle feeling a tad edgy. Carroll deflected all questions about his contract throughout all of last season and the offseason, and there was one school of thought that Carroll could be tempted back to Los Angeles after his contract with the Seahawks ran down. The Rams moved back to Los Angeles from St. Louis, and Carroll has strong southern California ties following his highly successful stint coaching USC from 2000-09.
But after Schneider received his extension Sunday it was widely expected Carroll would quickly follow. It required just two days.
With Carroll and Schneider signed to extensions, Seattle can focus its energies on training camp. The Seahawks begin their preparations for the 2016 season Saturday morning at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton.
For more on the Seattle sports scene, follow Nick Patterson on Twitter at @NickHPatterson.
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