Pete Carroll Cherishes Seahawks Super Bowl Memories: 'Thrill of a Lifetime!'
As Pete Carroll's coaching career with the Seattle Seahawks comes to an end, it's impossible to not look back at the team's back-to-back Super Bowl appearances as arguably the highlight of his time in the Pacific Northwest.
He reflected on this Wednesday when speaking to the media for likely the last time in a long time.
When Carroll first arrived in Seattle back in 2010, few expected his latest foray into the NFL to go any better than his first two failed opportunities in New England and New York. While he had been immensely successful at the college level at USC, many argued his reputation as a players coach who preached fun between the lines still wouldn't cut it at the professional level.
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But the third time proved to be the charm for Carroll, who silenced doubters right off the bat by leading the 7-9 Seahawks to a stunning wild card victory over the Saints in his first season at the helm. Overhauling the roster alongside Schneider, the duo built an exciting young core featuring Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, and a host of other budding stars,
With the contagiously energetic Carroll feverishly chomping gum and running up and down the sidelines, Seattle went on an unprecedented five-year run from 2012 to 2016. Led by the vaunted "Legion of Boom" defense and a physical ground attack anchored by Marshawn Lynch, the team captured three NFC West titles, won two NFC Championship games, and took home the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVIII, dominating the sport for half a decade.
Looking back on his time in Seattle, Carroll said the pursuit of championships will be what he misses most from coaching.
"The thrill of a lifetime was being in that parade for our fans, our people and all that," Carroll said. "That pursuit to the greatness of the moment you celebrate with everybody, there's nothing like it."
Over the past eight seasons, the Seahawks haven't enjoyed the same postseason success, including winning only one playoff game since 2019. That stagnation and inability to get over the hump back towards being a true contender in the NFC likely played a key role in the decision-making process opting to change course with a new coach in charge.
But while Seattle failed to advance past the divisional round after the 2014 season, Carroll's squad remained incredibly competitive, making the postseason in four of his final six seasons. This included going 9-8 and earning a Wild Card berth in the aftermath of trading Wilson before the 2022 season, which could be argued as his greatest coaching job to date.
