By Vincent Bonsignore
Las Vegas Evaluation-Journal
LAS VEGAS — The Raiders have excessive hopes below coach Pete Carroll, who has a distinguished monitor file of turning round shedding applications in brief order.
Can the Raiders anticipate comparable ends in his first season in Las Vegas?
Right here’s a have a look at Carroll’s first season in his earlier 4 head teaching stops:
New York Jets, 1994
Report: 6-10
Carroll, 43 on the time, had spent 4 seasons because the Jets’ defensive coordinator when he was promoted after the firing of Bruce Coslet.
In an indication of issues to return throughout his profession, Carroll put in a basketball courtroom on the Jets’ facility. He emphasised the significance of vitamin and relaxation, and scaled again the size of practices to attempt to protect his gamers. All of these issues are staples of the trendy NFL, nevertheless it felt revolutionary on the time.
The Jets started the season 2-0 and have been 6-5 once they performed the Dolphins with an opportunity to take over first place within the AFC East. However they misplaced 28-24 after blowing a 24-6 lead, the primary of 5 straight defeats to finish the season.
Shockingly, Carroll was fired after the season.
New England Patriots, 1997
Report: 10-6
The Patriots have been coming off a Tremendous Bowl look when Carroll took over from Invoice Parcells, who left New England over a dispute with possession relating to personnel management.
After being fired by the Jets, Carroll had spent two seasons because the defensive coordinator of the 49ers. He interviewed with the Lions, Rams and Patriots in the course of the 1997 hiring cycle.
The affable Carroll was the polar reverse of the strict hard-driving Parcells. That didn’t land nicely with the veteran gamers on the Patriots, a lot of whom adored Parcells.
Nonetheless, the Patriots seemed dominant by successful their first 4 video games, outscoring opponents 130-40. However their Week 5 bye broke up the momentum and set the stage for a 1-4 stumble.
Carroll and the Patriots ended up successful 5 of their remaining seven video games to win the AFC East. They did it behind an offense and protection that ranked within the high 10 within the NFL, younger quarterback Drew Bledsoe and operating again Curtis Martin.
Within the first spherical of the playoffs, the Patriots beat the Dolphins 17-3. However the Steelers then ended the Patriots’ season in a 7-6 victory.
USC, 2001
Report: 6-6
One of many nation’s most storied applications, USC had fallen right into a rut by the top of the Nineties. However Carroll wasn’t the Trojans’ first selection after they fired Paul Hackett. Among the many coaches who turned down the job have been Oregon State’s Dennis Erickson and Oregon’s Mike Bellotti. Even Chargers coach Mike Riley, a former USC assistant, waffled when the Trojans known as.
That led USC to Carroll, who sat out the 2000 season after getting fired by the Patriots following the 1999 season.
His hiring was unpopular amongst USC followers, however Carroll was undeterred. One in every of his first hires was acclaimed offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who would oversee the Heisman Trophy candidacy of quarterback Carson Palmer and one in every of school soccer’s most deadly offenses.
Carroll additionally started establishing the proverbial recruiting fence round talent-rich Southern California, reeling in top-rated native gamers akin to Winston Justice, Hershel Dennis and Darnell Bing in his first recruiting cycle. That began one of many all-time nice recruiting runs in school soccer historical past.
It was a wrestle initially on the sector. After beating San Jose State within the season opener, USC dropped 4 straight video games and 5 of six.
A late-season surge noticed the Trojans reel off 4 straight wins, together with a 27-0 beatdown of crosstown rival UCLA, to complete the common season 6-5.
USC misplaced to Utah within the Las Vegas Bowl, nevertheless it was apparent a change was occurring in Los Angeles. The Trojans went 11-2 the following season, together with a 38-17 win over No. 3 Iowa within the Orange Bowl. A 12 months later, USC went 12-1 and received the nationwide championship.
Seattle Seahawks, 2010
Report: 7-9
The Seahawks have been coming off a 5-11 season when proprietor Paul Allen provided Carroll full energy to run the soccer division.
Carroll instantly went to work, hiring Packers personnel man John Schneider as basic supervisor. He additionally retained proficient younger defensive assistants Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn, who each performed big roles within the improvement of the Seahawks’ dominant Legion of Growth protection.
Carroll’s first draft was one for the ages as he plucked offensive sort out Russell Okung, security Earl Thomas, large receiver Golden Tate and defensive again Kam Chancellor.
Of the greater than 200 transactions Carroll made in that first season, the headliner was buying and selling for Payments operating again Marshawn Lynch.
The Seahawks improved by simply two video games in 2010, however the seven wins have been sufficient to win the NFC West. That meant a house playoff sport in opposition to Drew Brees and the Saints, whom the Seahawks upset 41-26 within the first spherical.
They misplaced to the Bears 35-24 within the second spherical, however a basis had been set.