hawknation2018":32xhi6ni said:
Spin Doctor":32xhi6ni said:
hawknation2018":32xhi6ni said:
Spin Doctor":32xhi6ni said:
The thing about Carroll's tenures is they always got off to a hot start, but they were not able to generate prolonged success.
Untrue.
Carroll had an unprecedented seven-consecutive Top 4 finishes in college football. The only years he didn't win the conference title (and finish ranked in the Top 4 nationally) were his first and last years at USC. He set a college football record for most-consecutive games without losing by more than seven points.
The Seahawks went to six playoffs in seven years, which we had never done before in franchise history. He set an NFL record for most-consecutive games without losing by more than seven points.
This is the definition of sustained success.
I'm talking about his NFL tenure before he was with the Seahawks here.
Not sure what can be gleaned there from four total seasons. Evaluating "sustained success" requires a longer sample size.
Four seasons is a pretty good sample size, it is more than most coaches get in the NFL. Each season the New England Patriots got worse under Carroll. His season with the NY Jets was also a good example of starting off hot and then faltering. It was a trend in the NFL, his ability to manage players, and personalities. It was certainly a factor in his first two rodeos. The NCAA is a completely different field. Many coaches are able to thrive here, but few are able to become Jim Harbaugh or Pete Carroll in the NFL. This is where the rah, rah, players coach mentality is not only encouraged, but thrives.
Players are a revolving door. At most they are staying four years, and a good batch are being cycled in and out every year. Not only that, recruiting also plays a big role here. This part would ultimately be the part that changed in Pete Carroll's next tenure in the NFL, the Seahawks. Pete Carroll kept the same mentality he had in college, he just had the ability to cycle out players that didn't buy into his system, and cycle them out he did. In his first few years he cut some big names and fan favorites. It was a great purge, and the Seahawks set records for most transactions in one season. He ran the Seahawks in the years 2010-2014 like a college organization (which is not a bad thing in this case).
This year we had a second purge. Thomas was put on the trading block, Sherman was kicked to the curb, Bennett was traded away for mere pennies. His ability to have complete autonomy over the roster, and his insider knowledge that he had on NCAA players proved to be the difference maker in this go around in the NFL.
Even with those changes, we saw some similar trends in this go around in the NFL. After the call, Carroll has had a hard time getting his roster to buy in to his message, and manage the issues in the locker room and with his coaching staff. All we heard is rumors but I think what guys like Sherman, Avril and Bennett have been saying has confirmed it. Which is part of the reason why Sherman, and Bennett are no longer with us, and why we tried so hard to get rid of Thomas as well. It is also why Cable, Richards and Bevell are gone. This organization may have not shown it on paper, but they have been very dysfunctional for the last two years.
I think a lot of talent has been squandered, and a lot of abilities wasted in these last few years due to stubbornness and Carroll's inability to get a grip on troublesome players, and that fact will always haunt us Seahawk fans. What could have been, but what never was due to some ill-fated decisions, nepotism, and toxicity within the locker room. Pete Carroll is still a good coach, but part of me wonders if his act has grown stale in the NFL. This season will be a make or break season for him. It surely has been a departure from his previous M.Os. Schottenheimer, and Ken Norton Jr. are both cut from the same cloth. They are no non-sense, old school, militaristic style coaches. Even Solari is of the same ilk. Even Carroll himself looked more pissed off and angry last season. I think we're about to see a new Carroll, the man just looked tired of all of the BS that was being spouted by players, and maybe even his own coaches.
I think Schottenheimer was hired more for his mentality, and ability to command respect than for his prowess as a playcaller. I think that is what sold Carroll on him more than anything, and maybe perhaps his rep as a good QB coach. (Wilson's mechanics really have been going down hill the last few years, though for good reason).
I personally don't think this arrangement will work out. I think if we're going to win it is going to be because of a defensive reinsurance rather than some kind of offensive boon. It is more ore less going to be like a Bevell ran offense, only a little more inflexible in my opinion. I like Schottenheimer as a QB coach, not so much as a play caller. I can see why he was an attractive option for Carroll, given the events that have transpired here over the last few years. I really do hope he can do something, but I'm not holding out hope, especially given Carroll's spotty offenses.
