Pete Carroll coaching carousel - what's next after Raiders disaster

6 days ago 2

Pete Carroll was fired as the coach of the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday after a 3-14 season which rates as a profound professional humiliation for a man who has won a Super Bowl and a college football national championship. The former USC coach had big dreams for the Raiders, and that was part of the problem.

Pete Carroll's biggest mistake

Pete Carroll didn't have to join the Raiders. He could have selected a different re-entry point into the NFL. He simply chose poorly. That was his biggest error. The Raiders did not have a contending roster. Pete Carroll believed they did. Their offensive line was the worst in the NFL. Bringing in Geno Smith wasn't going to change that.

Raiders' NFL draft approach was all wrong

The Raiders picked Ashton Jeanty at No. 6. The smart play would have been to trade away that pick for lots of additional picks and restock the roster, mostly with offensive linemen and receivers, also some cornerbacks. By picking Jeanty, the Raiders were essentially declaring that their offensive line was sufficient. No smart organization picks an elite running back in the top 10 of the draft if it thinks its O-line isn't ready. If the O-line isn't ready, the running back won't do well. That was a spectacular miscalculation, and it flowed from Carroll and the Raiders thinking they had a reasonably good roster. That's an important lesson for Carroll to carry with him as he contemplates his next job.

Jobs Pete Carroll could -- but shouldn't -- take

If NFL teams are interested, Pete Carroll will get consideration from them as a new head coach, but the whole point of the Raider disaster is that Carroll needs to choose his team wisely. He can't just "settle" for a job. If the job isn't right, Pete shouldn't take it.

Three jobs Pete Carroll absolutely shouldn't touch: the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns. Those are rebuilding jobs. Carroll should be coaching at places where he can win instantly -- unlike the Raiders.

Atlanta Falcons make sense for Pete Carroll

The one job which immediately stands out for Pete Carroll as a legitimate landing spot is Atlanta, which fired Raheem Morris and has a vacancy. The Falcons play in the mediocre NFC South. With Drake London and Bijan Robinson, they have some legitimate dudes on offense. Their pass rush was solid this season. There's real material on that roster in a winnable division populated with the underachieving Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the mediocre 8-9 Carolina Panthers, and the rebuilding New Orleans Saints.

After the NFL playoffs end

Would the Buffalo Bills fire Sean McDermott if they get knocked out early? Will any coordinator on a current playoff team become a head coach in the next hiring cycle? These and other questions are worth keeping in mind.

Will coaches jump?

John Harbaugh might want a change of scenery after a brutally disappointing year with the Baltimore Ravens. Pete Carroll doesn't have to jump at the first chance to get a job. Again, being selective matters.

Update -- Arizona Cardinals fire Jonathan Gannon

We started writing this article before the news broke, but the Cardinals have fired Jonathan Gannon. Nope, Pete Carroll should not consider this job, either. The Bidwill family is not a good NFL owner, and the NFC West is a nasty nightmare. Plus, why would Pete want to coach against the Seahawks twice a season? No way.

One-year break

Pete Carroll could take one year off and then make a play for a 2027 coaching job. (Remember: He signed a three-year deal with the Raiders, so he planned to coach in 2027.)

Possible interesting jobs which could open in 2027: Buccaneers and Ravens (if their coaches stay this year -- to be determined), Bengals, Jets (obviously a non-starter, but still), Dolphins. The non-Jets jobs are intriguing.

Retirement

This is an option for Pete Carroll, but does anyone think Pete wants to go out like this? He didn't coach well with the Raiders, but again, his main mistake was his choice of job. Choosing the right re-entry point is what Carroll has to do. If, hypothetically, he joins the Falcons, he should be able to win nine or more games per year, given that he plays the Panthers and Saints twice apiece and would have high-end players to work with.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Pete Carroll's future uncertain after one-year disaster with Raiders

Read Entire Article