Pete Carroll is now in his fourth NFL head coaching stint after taking over as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. The 73-year-old spent the last year out of coaching and was hungry to get back in, and he has. As for why he took the job with the Raiders, Carroll said it came down to two words and one name: Tom Brady.
Carroll is in attendance at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. He spoke with the assembled media from the podium, and he also conducted an interview with ESPN separately.
Carroll was asked why he took the Raiders job and gave his answer about Brady.
“Tom Brady,” Carroll stated bluntly. “It starts there. When Tom wanted to do this and he wanted to be part of this thing, that changed my outlook on what could be possible. I’ve found out since how consistently … he is a great competitive mentality and spirit. And he passed it right to the rest of the ownership group that has been incredibly jacked and fired up.”
Carroll probably wanted back in with coaching so badly that he would have taken any NFL head coach job had it been offered to him. But it seems pretty clear that Brady was a big factor in convincing him that the Raiders could turn things around.
During his session with the assembled media, Carroll talked more about Brady’s influence and availability.
“He’s available everyday. He consults with us and is really tuned in to what’s happening. … I feel free and comfortable to call or text him at any time … it’s been great,” Carroll said.
Brady brought in his former college teammate John Spytek as the team’s general manager. Carroll remarked about how similarly competitive Spytek is.
Fixing the Raiders won’t be easy, regardless of how accomplished their coach and front office are. The team went 4-13 last season, and their biggest issue is they don’t have a quarterback. Until they get that matter resolved, they probably won’t turn things around. There is one QB who does seem to have interest in them.
