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Peter C. Carroll (born September 15 , 1951 , in San Francisco, California ) is the current head coach of the University Of Southern California Trojans Football team, having held that position since 2001 . In his time at USC , the Trojans have made it to multiple national championship games (winning the National Championship in 2004 and splitting the National Championship in 2003 ) and have consistently emerged as Pac-10 conference champions. EARLY LIFE AND COLLEGE Pete Carroll was born in San Francisco to Jim and Rita Carroll. He and his older brother Jim were raised in nearby suburban Greenbrae , in Marin County , where his father was a liquor salesman.Mark Whicker, More than a passing fancy , ''The Orange County Register'', September 2, 2005. The Carroll household was popular with the neighborhood, and local kids often went there to play sports and watch them on television.Mark Whicker, More than a passing fancy , ''The Orange County Register'', September 2, 2005. Carroll attended for two years, earning All- Pacific Coast Conference honors both years (1971-72) and earning his Bachelor Of Science in Business Administration in 1973 .Jason Anderson, Pete's party began at Pacific , ''The Record'', Aug. 2, 2006. After graduation, Carroll tried out for the , but he found he wasn't good at it and soon moved on; it would be his only non-football-related job.Mark Whicker, More than a passing fancy , ''The Orange County Register'', September 2, 2005. COACHING CAREER Collegiate assistant (1973–1983) Carroll's energetic and positive personality made a good impression on his . After graduating from Pacific, Carroll's colleague Bob Cope was hired by the that season. The following season, Carroll moved to , he brought Carroll, who acted as an assistant coach in charge of the secondary. The Ohio State squad made it to the 1980 Rose Bowl where they lost to USC. Carroll next spent three seasons as the Defensive Coordinator and secondary coach at North Carolina State University . In 1983, Cope became head coach of Pacific and brought Carroll on as assistant head coach and Offensive Coordinator .Jason Anderson, Pete's party began at Pacific , ''The Record'', Aug. 2, 2006. National Football League (1984–1999) Carroll left Pacific after a year and entered the , Carroll was elevated to head coach of the Jets. Known for energy and youthful enthusiasm, Carroll painted a basketball court in the parking lot of the team's practice facility where he and his assistant coaches regularly played three-on-three games there during their spare time.Sam Farmer, "Spirit of Carroll Also Haunting Him ", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 2000. He was fired after one season, finishing with a record of 6-10, one of the first things done was the removal of the the basketball court.Sam Farmer, "Spirit of Carroll Also Haunting Him ", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 2000. Carroll was hired for the next season by the San Francisco 49ers , where he served as defensive coordinator for the following two seasons (1995-96). His return to success as the defensive coordinator led to his hiring as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 1997, replacing respected coach Bill Parcells , who had resigned after disputes with the team's ownership. His 1997 Patriots team won the AFC East division title, but his subsequent two teams did not fare as well—losing in the Wild Card playoff round in 1998, and missing the playoffs after a late-season slide in 1999—and he was fired after the 1999 season. Patriot's owner Robert Kraft said firing Carroll was one of the toughest decisions he has had to make since buying the team, stating "A lot of things were going on that made it difficult for him to stay, some of which were out of his control. And it began with following a legend."Sam Farmer, "Spirit of Carroll Also Haunting Him ", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 2000. His combined NFL record as head coach was 33-31. Even though NFL teams approached with defensive coordinator positions, Carroll instead spent the 2000 season as a consultant for pro and college teams, doing charitable work for the NFL and writing a column about pro football for CNNSI.com . Profile: Pete Carroll , USC Athletic Department. USC Trojans (2000–present) Hiring Carroll was named the initially planned to hire a high-profile coach with recent college experience.David Wharton, "All Signs Point to Carroll", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 14, 2000. Meanwhile Carroll, who had not coached in over a year and not coached in the college ranks since 1983, drew unfavorable comparisons to the outgoing Hackett.David Wharton, "Trojans, Carroll Keep Talking", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 15, 2000.Bill Plaschke, "For Pete's Sake, USC, Why Did You Do It?", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 2000. USC first pursued then Oregon State coach Dennis Erickson , who instead signed a contract extension with the Beavers; then Oregon coach Mike Bellotti , who similarly signed an extension.David Wharton, "All Signs Point to Carroll", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 14, 2000. The search then moved to the San Diego Chargers coach Mike Riley , who had been an assistant coach at USC before later becoming the head coach of Oregon State. Stuck in contractual obligations to the Chargers (who were still in the midst of an NFL season) and hesitating about moving his family, Riley was unable to give a firm answer, opening an opportunity for Carroll.David Wharton, "All Signs Point to Carroll", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 14, 2000. Carroll actively pursued the position, as his daughter, Jaime, was then a player on the Women of Troy's successful Volleyball team.David Wharton, "All Signs Point to Carroll", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 14, 2000. After the first three primary candidates turned down the position, USC hired Carroll. USC under Garrett had actually tried to recruit Carroll to be their head coach in 1997, while he was coaching the Patriots, but Carroll was unable to take the position.David Wharton, "Coaching Search Ends After 18 Days: USC Goes Carrolling", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 2000. Garrett cited Carroll's intelligence, energy and reputation as a defensive specialist as reasons for his hire.David Wharton, "Coaching Search Ends After 18 Days: USC Goes Carrolling", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 2000. The choice of Carroll for USC's head coaching position was scrutinized by the media and vocally criticized by many USC fans, primarily because of USC's stagnation under the outgoing Hackett and Carroll's record as a head coach in the NFL and being nearly two decades removed from the college level.Bill Plaschke, "For Pete's Sake, USC, Why Did You Do It?", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 2000."Pete Carroll Letters: Initial Reaction Could Be Better", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 15, 2000.David Wharton, "Coaching Search Ends After 18 Days: USC Goes Carrolling", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 2000. Former NFL players (including USC alumni), such as Ronnie Lott , Gary Plummer , Tim McDonald and Willie McGinest offered their support for Carroll, who they noted had a player-friendly, easygoing style that might suit the college game and particularly recruiting.David Wharton, "Coaching Search Ends After 18 Days: USC Goes Carrolling", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 2000.Sam Farmer, "Spirit of Carroll Also Haunting Him ", ''Los Angeles Times'', December 16, 2000. The USC Athletic Department received 2,500 e-mails, faxes and phone calls from alumni—mostly critical—and a number of donors asking for Carroll's removal before they would donate again. Tenure The criticism of Pete Carroll became louder when Carroll's first USC team opened the 2001 season going 2-5, with some sportswriters writing off the once-domineering Trojans, who were the only Pac-10 football team to never finish in the national top 10 during the previous decade, as a dying program.Bill Plaschke, "Westwood, Ho!", ''Los Angeles Times'', October 25, 2001. However, after the slow start, Carroll's teams proceeded to go 52-5 over the next 57 games, winning two national championships and bringing USC back to college football prominence. Carroll is considered one of the most effective recruiters in college football, having brought in multiple top-ranked recruiting classes; he is also known for getting commitments from players who are still only Sophomores in high school.Mike Farrel, Times are a-changin' , SI.com, June 15, 2007 His son, Brennan Carroll , is USC recruiting coordinator as well as tight ends coach.Mike Farrel, Times are a-changin' , SI.com, June 15, 2007 As of January 6 , 2007 , Carroll is 65-12 (84.4%) as a head coach at USC. His team won a school-record 34 straight games from 2003-2005, a streak that started after a triple- Overtime loss to California and ended with the national championship game in the 2006 Rose Bowl , against Vince Young 's Texas Longhorns . During his tenure, USC has broken its average home attendance record four times in a row, without any stadium expansions (they play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum ); the USC home attendance average in 2001, his first season, was 57,744; by 2006 it was over 91,000. In coaching style, Carroll is known for using an aggressive, nonconservative play-calling that is open to trick plays as well as "going for it" on 4th down instead of punting the ball away.Pat Forde, Coaches, players embracing trickeration trend , ESPN.com, August 9, 2007. Carroll has been known to plan elaborate surprises during practice to lighten the mood and reward the players, such as having USC alumnus and comedic actor Will Ferrell suit up and play during practice.Dave Albee, Carroll Chronicles: Celebrities love to practice with Pete , ''Marin Independent Journal'', August 29, 2007. Accomplishments Since becoming USC head coach Pete Carroll has led a resurgence of football at the University of Southern California. Carroll himself has been compared to the College Football Hall Of Fame coach Knute Rockne .Mike Celizic, Carroll could be the next Rockne , Associated Press, August 2, 2007.Mike Lopresti, A few legends might enjoy success of Carroll's Trojans , ''USA TODAY'', August 24, 2007. Here is a summary of program highlights:
In July 2007, ESPN.com named USC its #1 team of the decade for the period between 1996 and 2006, primarily citing the Trojans' renaissance and dominance under Carroll.Ivan Maisel, Carroll's coaching propels USC to top of decade ranking , ESPN.com, July 27, 2007. Storied programs dominate Ladder 119's top rungs , ESPN.com, July 27, 2007. Coaching records National Football League College
Personal awards 2003
2004
2005
2006
PERSONAL Carroll's wife Glena (née Goranson) played indoor Volleyball at the University of Pacific.Jill Painter, For USC coach Carroll, coaching is part fun and sun , ''Los Angeles Daily News'', August 12, 2007. Together they have three children, oldest son Brennan, middle daughter Jaime, and youngest son Nathan. USC Football Riding 10-Game Win Streak Hosts Hawaii For First Time Since 1930 , USC Athletic Department, September 8, 2003 Brennan Carroll played .Mark Whicker, More than a passing fancy , ''The Orange County Register'', September 2, 2005. Carroll draws coaching inspiration from the 1974 book ''The Inner Game of Tennis'', by tennis coach W. Timothy Gallwey , which he picked up as graduate student at the University of the Pacific; he summarizes the philosophy he took from the book as "all about clearing the clutter in the interactions between your conscious and subconscious mind" enabled "Through superior practice and a clear approach. Focus, clarity and belief in yourself are what allows you to express your ability without discursive thoughts and concerns."Kurt Streeter, Carroll goes by the book to teach football at USC , ''Los Angeles Times'', August 26, 2007. Known for his high-energy and often pleasant demeanor when coaching.Doug Krikorian, Commentary: Trojans feed off Carroll's charisma , ''Daily Breeze'', August 21, 2007. In a 2005 interview, Carroll explained his motivation: REFERENCES
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See Also: USC Trojans football
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