Pete Carroll is coming off arguably his worst season as a head coach with the Las Vegas Raiders. He went 3-14 and was fired after just one year.
At 74, Carroll could easily retire and leave the stress of football behind. However, deep down, he’s a football coach.
Carroll isn’t getting another NFL head coaching job after the Raiders debacle, but he found another way to get back into the mix. The adidas Polynesian Bowl announced that Carroll will be coaching, alongside Mack Brown, in the 2027 game.
“It’s an incredible honor to be part of the adidas Polynesian Bowl and to serve as a head coach,” Carroll said in a press release. “The Polynesian community has given so much to football at every level. This event is about more than football—it’s about celebrating culture, family, and the tremendous talent of these young men.”
The game is going to take place in Honolulu, Hawaii, which is an area Carroll is excited to return to.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of it. … I happen to like that island, and we’ve spent a lot of time there, so it feels like going home to me,” Carroll told 247 Sports.
Though it’s not a long-term job like he’s likely hoping for, it’ll at least keep him in the mix for now.
What Went Wrong With Carroll & the Raiders?
There was a lot of excitement when the Raiders hired Carroll last year. They went from having the least experienced head coach in the NFL to one of the most. However, it quickly became apparent that things weren’t going to work.
After upsetting the New England Patriots in Week 1, the Raiders looked completely lost. One of the biggest reasons the team struggled was because of poor play from quarterback Geno Smith. Carroll believes he’s partly to blame for why Smith played so poorly.
“He’s a phenomenal quarterback, he really is,” Carroll told ESPN in March. “He had a fantastic offseason and preseason with us, and he comes out in the first game, has a great first game. It was all fitting. It was exactly the right time for us. Then we just faltered and faltered. We didn’t do well enough, coaching.
“We should’ve had him better prepared for the things that happened, and that wouldn’t have happened,” he continued. “I take a lot of responsibility in that. We didn’t prepare him well enough in the offseason even though he looked great and we felt we had everything lined up. It was very, very disappointing for us both.”
Is Carroll Done Coaching in the NFL?
At this point in his career, no NFL team is going to hire Carroll to be their head coach. He could likely still get a college head coaching job, but NFL teams won’t come calling.
He’s one of the most iconic coaches to ever do it, but it’s clear the game passed him by. He has always struggled to put together a good offensive coaching staff, and that was the case again in Las Vegas. With the NFL favoring offense these days, there’s just no way to justify letting Carroll lead your franchise.
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