One of the best football leagues is the NFL. Players and coaches form up to grab a single title — the Super Bowl. Pete Carroll is a few of the NFL coaches who got a chance to win the Super Bowl during his coaching career.
Carroll has also won College Football National Championship. He is known for his defense coaching tactics. He is one of the three coaches in the world to earn both — Super Bowl and CFNC.
Likewise, Pete Carroll is the 2003 ESPN.com National Coach of the Year award winner. He has collected different awards during his career, including the prestigious of all, the PWFA Jack Horrigan award.
Carroll has not only acquired many titles during his coaching career, but he has also bagged several records. Pete is holding numerous football records. Until now, one hasn’t broken the records.
Pete is a celebrated coach in the NFL. He is widely recognized for Legion of Boom, a technique used for coaching in football games.
Through this technique, his team, the Seahawks, has secured countless matches.
Before we dig in about his career, let’s know about Pete Carroll’s quick facts.
Pete Carroll | Quick Facts
Full Name | Peter Clay Carroll |
Birth Date | September 15, 1955 |
Birth Place | San Francisco, California, United States |
Nick Name | Pete |
Religion | Christianity |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Education | Bachelors in Science |
Horoscope | Virgo |
Father’s Name | James Edward “Jim” Carroll |
Mother’s Name | Rita Carroll |
Siblings | Information Not Available |
Age | 69 years old |
Height | 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 meters) |
Weight | 103 Kilograms (238 lbs) |
Hair Color | Silver White |
Eye Color | Light Brown |
Build | Muscular |
Profession | NFL Coach |
Super Bowl | XLVII |
Active Years | 1973-present |
Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Marital Status | Married |
Wife’s Name | Glena Goranson |
Kids | Three; two sons and a daughter |
Net Worth | $30 Million |
Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
Last Update | November, 2024 |
Early Life, Parents, and Education
Pete[r] [Clay] Carroll was born in San Francisco, California, on September 15, 1951. His father is James Edward “Jim” Carroll. And his mother’s name is Rita Carroll, who is a renowned person in San Francisco.
Carroll’s parents parented him along with his siblings. However, there is not much information about his brothers and sisters.
His mother was a teacher at Stuartholme school. In contrast, his father’s employment status is unknown.
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Pete completed his high schooling at Larkspur High School, Redwood, California. After that, he immediately junior college at the College of Marin, where he practiced football during college days.
Similarly, his interest in football grew during his college days. Pete demanded a transfer from Marin. He went to the University of Pacific to study football.
However, after that, he gave up studying for a while and started to play football.
Pete’s massive interest in sports shaped his football career. He worked hard to become a professional footballer. But he didn’t become one. Instead, Pete got invited to work under the coach.
After a couple of years, he joined the Bachelor of Science, a business degree. In 1973, Pete completed it. It was a degree that was unrelated to his career and field.
After two years, Pete also completed his Masters’s degree. He studied for Masters’s in Physical education while working as an assistant for the Pacific.
Pete Carroll | Professional Career
Pete’s professional career started during his college days. His head coach Chester Caddas called him to become a graduate assistant. In 1973, the University of Pacific officially signed him as an assistant coach.
Consequently, he was hired by the University of Arkansas in 1977 as a graduate assistant. However, he was given more duties and responsibilities as an assistant than he did for the Pacific.
In the same way, Pete’s popularity grew stronger during football games. Finally, in 1984, he got hired as defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills. Though, during his coaching period, the club did not obtain any titles.
Carroll – Hired, Fired, and again Hired.
Carroll’s career turned when he got appointed as the head coach for the New York Jets. His responsibility for the team was to bring the trophy, which the Jets had never won.
But after several losses, the management fired Pete from the coach’s position.
In 1997, Pete got appointed as the head coach of the New England Patriots. The then coach of the Patriots resigned for some personal reasons.
Carroll found himself in a difficult position because he was a freshly fired coach from the Jets.
He spent two seasons with the Patriots. Pete’s coaching career did not turn successful for the Patriots. After several disappointing losses, Pete got fired from the club in 1998.
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After the incident, the USC Trojans called Pete to become the head coach in 2000. Carroll hadn’t coached any team for a single year.
Though he had a lack of experience, the Trojans believed him. As a result, the Trojans finished in the first position five times during his tenure.
Contract with Seattle Seahawks
Pete retired from the Trojans and signed for Seattle Seahawks in 2010. He and the Seahawks drafted a contract for five years.
Similarly, the board also appointed him as executive vice president of the club.
Carroll has bagged different trophies with Seahawks from 2010. In the first year of his career, the Seahawks finished in the first position in NFC West.
However, they were defeated by Chicago Bears in NFC divisional game.
Until 2013, Pete suffered massive criticisms for his coaching skills. The club’s board regularly questioned him for losses against the rival teams. But in 2013, something magical happened, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl.
After the trophy, the club extended his contract, and he remains the coach of the Seahawks, till now. During his coaching, various records got broken.
The Seahawks score defense four years straight. It was the first team to do so after the 1950s Cleveland Browns.
Coaching Style
Pete Carroll has been an exclusive coach and is also known for his back-to-back Super Bowl wins. Additionally, he is best-known as a “player’s coach,” and is recognized for his unique skills and methods.
One of his widely known techniques is to have fun while being competitive. Right before the games, he blasts huge songs before the game to boost their confidence. Furthermore, he organizes a mini-basketball hoop at their training facility to test players’ focus.
In the meantime, Carroll also organized a beach volleyball tournament while in the USC. Apparently, it had the sole focus of understanding the line between college parties and games.
Likewise, he emphasizes gameplay in the action of rugby asking players to use their shoulders rather than their head. Similarly, he always tries to gain new skills for the players and thus, watches YouTube videos for updates.
Moving on, he also indulges in the TV broadcast’s videos. Altogether, he is an aggressive player and often tries to understand a player’s personality. He also believes in constant interaction with his assistant coach and players for better understanding.
Overall, he has also written an autobiography regarding his ethics, philosophies, and goals.
Controversial Decision
Glancing back in Super Bowl XLIX, Pete Carroll’s decision for the game went viral for all the very negative reasons. Indeed, he faced numerous criticisms right then and there and even got the title as the worst coaching decision ever.
Well, it was in fact one of the most controversial decisions ever in history that even Emmitt Smith declared it to be the worst call in the history of the sport. Back then, Carroll called for a pass after the last-moment interception instead of a hand-off.
As a result, they did face a heartbreaking loss in the Super Bowl. As the videos and comments went viral, he was blamed and called out for his decision. Anyways, he tried for the best strategy for his team, which unfortunately didn’t prevail as expected.
“We knew we were going to throw the ball once in that sequence, somewhere, and suddenly they had a goal-line defense that we could blow up, so we did, and it just did not work out. It was a hard challenge. It was really hard on some players. And some of us will never get over it.”
-Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll | Family – Wives, and Kids
Pete and Wendy dated together for three years. After some time, Pete tied his knots with Wendy Pearl on June 2, 1973.
There is not much information about her, though. It’s believed she was a collegemate of Pete Carroll.
However, the relationship did not last because they were young and in their early twenties. Pete and Wendy divorced after two years of marriage.
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The couple did not have kids together. And the reason for divorce is still unknown. But they meet and have gossip together, sometimes.
After two years of separation, Carroll married a former indoor volleyball player, Glena Goranson. She used to be his classmate. Although the marriage ceremony was kept personal, the reception was made grand.
For the last 44 years, the couple is happily living together. They have three children; sons Brenan and Nathan, daughter Jamie.
Carroll also has a grandson. His name is Dillion Brenan Carroll. Dillion is currently working as an assistant in the Seahawks.
Pete’s son Brenan works for his team as an assistant coach. Whereas her daughter Jamie and son Nathan also work for the Seahawks. It looks like the whole family is working for the Seahawks.
Apart from it, his son Brennan Carroll also stood as the candidate for Hawaii’s head coaching vacancy. It was after Nick Rolovich left Hawaii to become the head coach at Washington State.
Carroll’s Net Worth
Carroll has served his 40 years in coaching. He has worked in different fields. Also, Carroll is the highest-paid coach in the NFL. So, it’s obvious to earn a lot of money throughout his career.
Sources claim the Hawks signed Carroll for $1 million per year. After 2010, he should have made $10 million while working with the Hawks. In 2020, Carroll also extended his contract with the Seahawks which will tie him with the team till 2025 season.
Today, Pete is the oldest NFL coach, and combining his total wealth, Carroll’s Net Worth sums $30 Million.
Pete Carroll is living a great life with his immense wealth. His wife, Glena, was also a professional player who also earned much. Likewise, his children also get paid through the Seahawks.
He also sells his clothes and shoes through social media. Carroll’s players from the NFL got hired as the brand ambassador for the merchandise. He also makes a lot of money by selling these.
Social Media Presence
Pete Carroll mostly uses his Twitter account for conversating with his fans. Similarly, Carroll mainly uploads pictures of the Seahawks players and managing staff.
Carroll also informs his fans about different merchandise through his Twitter.
Carroll is one of the few NFL coaches to surpass two million followers on Twitter. He seems quite an old Twitter user because he opened his account in 2008. Therefore, his priority in social media is for Twitter.
Pete started a change from Twitter known as CoachTheVote, which is supported by numerous celebrities throughout America.
Black people also appreciate him for standing with the BlackLivesMatter movement.
After Twitter, Pete mostly uses his Instagram. He does not use his Instagram much. Though, Carroll has thousands of followers on his account.
The posts on Instagram are about family, where he shares pictures of his wife and children.
Despite having six hundred thousand followers, Carroll prefers Facebook less than any other social media platform. The posts are similar to Twitter. He mostly shares information about his club.
Common Queries:
Is Pete Carroll retiring?
Pete Carroll, 69, still wants to work with the Seattle Seahawks. In an interview with ESPN, he said he is not going to retire soon.
Why did Pete Carroll leave the Patriots?
Carroll did not leave the Patriots. The management committee of the Patriots fired him.
Where does Pete Carroll live now?
Carroll currently lives in Hunts Point, Washington. He lives there with his wife and children.
How many years Pete Carroll served in the Seahawks?
Carroll has served for the Seahawks for ten years. And he is currently also working there as head coach.