Pete Carroll is no longer the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. I still am trying to wrap my head around it.
You see I have a special relationship with these Seattle Seahawks having been a season ticket holder since the beginning of the franchise in 1976. I have see the good, the bad, the ugly and the best. Yes, Pete will goes down as very the best coach in Seahawks history.
Pete Carroll's tenure as head coach of the Seahawks: - 14 seasons - Super Bowl XLVIII Champion - Winning record in 11 of 14 seasons as head coach - 137 wins & .606 win pct are both highest in Seahawks franchise history - 10 playoff wins since 2010 (T-3rd in the NFL among head coaches)I love Pete Carroll. I will really miss him. I know I am not alone. You see, Pete cared, he cared deeply for his players. He believed that "if you cared for people deeply and you loved them for who they were" you could make a difference in their lives. You could create something special. A true brotherhood.
What made him so special is how he was able to recognize the extraordinary uniqueness in each person. He did not try to make them into something that they were not. He celebrated them and encouraged and challenged them. He really cared about them and always, always had their backs.
"Has any football coach in history been captured in a loving embrace with his players more often than Pete?" Jordan Hill
"I am grateful I was able to experience a man like you as my leader. I will never forget being wheeled out of a hospital alone at 3am and seeing you with your wife still waiting to give me a hug." Jimmy Graham
"No words, just hug" Chris Carson
These quotes I pulled for this blog are just a small sample of the outpouring of love coming from those that had the privilege to have worked for him. Boy, I wish I could have worked for Pete. What fun that would be!
Now, John Schneider's, the Seahawks general manager, will begin the job of finding someone to replace Pete. (Good luck on that one John!) So, of course, at the Pete's last press conference, he looks over at John who he has worked so closely with over the last 14 years and he is telling him how excited he was for him to get this chance now to run the team and select the next coach.
“It’s been 14 years; he’s been waiting for his opportunity and he deserves it. And he’s great at what he does... he deserves this moment, and I was cheerleading for him.” Pete Carroll
There it is, after just finding out he is out of his job, he is cheering on his friend, John Schneider, as he takes over the leadership. Just going out with class and grace!
Oh, how we are going to miss you, Pete Carroll!
At the end of the press conference, Pete signed off with a message he had from his old mentor, Bud Grant (Minnesota Vikings coach):
"There are some great discoveries that are going to come our way, there are rivers to wade, there's waves to catch and their are mountains to hike"
Best of luck to you Pete and go catch a another wave!
John
One of my all time favorite Seahawks memories was attending the Superbowl in New Jersey when the Seahawks (who were underdogs) beat the Denver Broncos 43-8!
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