Pete Carroll (2015) - USC Athletics Hall of Fame

Pete Carroll

Induction:
2015

Energetic Pete Carroll was USC’s most recent legendary football coach, leading the Trojans to unparalleled success during his nine-year (2001-2009) career. He led Troy to the 2003 and 2004 national championships (USC was 13-0 in 2004), won 83.6% of his games (97-16), captured an unprecedented seven consecutive Pac-10 titles, appeared in an NCAA-record seven consecutive BCS bowls (including a pair of BCS Championship Games) and won 11 games an NCAA record seven straight times (finishing in the AP Top 4 each time). His teams had 35 wins over AP Top 25 teams, went 7-2 in bowls (including 6-1 in BCS games), won an unprecedented three consecutive Rose Bowls and posted a 16-2 record versus Notre Dame and UCLA. Under Carroll, USC won a Pac-10 record 35 straight home games, 34 overall games, 27 Pac-10 games and 24 Pac-10 home games, as well as a USC record 18 straight road games and 13 Pac-10 road games. USC was AP’s No. 1 team for a record 33 straight polls (it ranked in the AP Top 10 for a USC-record 63 consecutive games and in the AP Top 25 for 102 straight). His Trojans scored at least 20 points in 63 games in a row. He coached three Heisman Trophy winners, plus Walter Camp, Bednarik, Unitas, Doak Walker and Mackey winners, as well as 35 All-American first teamers and 53 NFL Draft picks (including 14 first rounders, with a No. 1 and No. 2). He twice was the National Coach of the Year and was a three-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year. While at USC, he developed “A Better LA” foundation to reduce gang violence. He became the head coach of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks for 14 years (2010-23), leading the team to a victory in the 2014 Super Bowl, and the Las Vegas Raiders (2025). Before coming to USC, he was the head coach of the New York Jets (1994) and New England Patriots (1997-98). Earlier, he was an assistant coach at Pacific (his alma mater), Arkansas, Iowa State, Ohio State and North Carolina State, and then was on the staffs of the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers.