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Pete Carroll on possible return to USC: ‘That’s not happening’

Following the firing of Steve Sarkisian, former USC head coach Pete Carroll says he won’t return to the helm of the Trojans.
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Following the firing of Steve Sarkisian, former USC head coach Pete Carroll says he won’t return to the helm of the Trojans, reports ESPN’s Sheil Kapadia.

“That’s not happening,” Carroll told reporters Monday.

Carroll, now the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, was USC’s coach from 2000–2009. He won two national championships with the Trojans. 

According to a report on “The Dan Patrick Show,” USC placed Carroll on its short list to replace Sarkisian, who was fired on Oct. 12 after taking an indefinite leave of absence to seek alcohol treatment. 

“Pete Carroll is on that short list right now,” Dan Patrick said. “Not that Pete would leave Seattle. But the alumni are all in on trying to get Pete back ... The people who help make decisions there, they think Pete Carroll is in play. This is what I was told, before the loss [on Sunday], if it goes south in Seattle, they think there is a chance that Pete would listen to go back to USC.”

Also reported to be on the Trojans’ short list for Sarkisian’s replacement are the Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh and Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin.

During his tenure with the Seahawks, Carroll has led the team to a 50–31 record, while also helping Seattle advance to two consecutive Super Bowls, including a victory in Super Bowl XLVIII.

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