No Mora in Seattle; is Carroll next?
While new Browns President Mike Holmgren has decided to retain the services of a first-year 5-11 coach in Cleveland, his replacement in Seattle was fired after finishing with a 5-11 record in his only season as Seahawks' head coach.
Granted, Eric Mangini led the Browns to an impressive four-game winning streak to close the season. And ousted Seahawks coach Jim Mora closed the season on a four-game skid in which the Seahawks were outscored 37-123.
"I was extremely shocked," Mora said, per Danny O'Neil of The Seattle Times. "I just felt like you take over a 4-12 team, and there's obviously some work to be done."
According to the Los Angeles Times, the Seahawks are close to a deal with USC head coach Pete Carroll. Before they can hire Carroll, they will need to satisfy the Rooney Rule and interview a minority candidate for the vacancy.
In 68 NFL games as head coach with the Patriots and Jets, Carroll has won 34 games and he has lost 34 games.
Meanwhile, Carroll has compiled a record of 97-19 at USC. With the exception of his first season (2001) and his most recent (2009), Carroll has posted 11+ wins and finished in first or tied for first in the Pac 10 conference every season.
In 2009, Carroll and USC finished 9-4, tied for fifth in the Pac 10 and beat Boston College 22-20 in the Emerald Bowl.
With his ability to recruit, he is a much better fit as a college head coach. Provided Carroll makes the transition to Seattle, I wouldn't be surprised to see Carroll return to NCAA football after adding a few additional years of mediocre NFL coaching experience to his résumé.
