Sports Radio Interviews

Pete Carroll Content with USC Head Coaching Gig

The past three January’s, USC Head Coach Pete Carroll has been linked to just about every NFL head coaching opportunity. Carroll has graciously declined every possibility presented to him, opting to stay in the warm confines of Southern California instead.

Many people forget that Carroll had a few stints as an NFL head coach with the New York Jets and New England Patriots in the mid to late 90’s. His first stint was short lived however, after his Jets finished the season by losing their final six games. Carroll was fired after only one season with a 6-10 record. His tenure with the Patriots lasted a whopping three years, which he was fired after the Pats failed to make the playoffs in 1999.

Carroll no doubt will get another opportunity as his Trojans have never finished the season ranked lower than 4th in either the AP or Coaches Poll while he’s been at the helm. With the rotating door at the offensive and defensive coordinator positions over the past three seasons, thanks to all of his assistants being promoted to head coaching gigs of their own or NFL coordinator positions, there is no question as to just how important Coach Carroll actually is to USC coaching and recruiting.

Pete Carroll joined KJR AM in Seattlelast week at Pac-10 Media Day to express his views on the division this year and where he sees his USC team minus top defensive captain Rey Maualuga and quarterback Mark Sanchez.

On where he is in his career right now and if he still has the itch to jump ship for an NFL head coaching job:

“I’m fortunate to be here (at USC). It’s been a blessing to have the chance to coach here and I’m thrilled to be part of it. I’m just as pumped as ever and looking forward to a heck of a year. I don’t have that itch. I’m good.”

Coach Carroll was asked if Mark Sanchez being drafted in the top five changed his opinion on wanting the quarterback to stay another year at USC:

“No, I’m just thrilled that it came out that way. Really the reason we’re so adamant, and I was representing his dad and family on this thing, was that we wanted him to maximize his potential as a player when it came time, to be the best player you can possibly be. Well, with giving up that last year he forfeited that opportunity, yet he was ok about that and we had to really make sure he was ok about that so we stressed to him all the way to the end of it. I love Mark. He was a great player for us, a great Trojan and all of that, and I couldn’t be rooting for him more. I just hope and hope and hope that they’ll be ok and he’ll have a pretty good team around him.”

On Aaron Corp being favored to start the season as the USC starting quarterback:

“Well Aaron is going into his third year here, which is his redshirt sophomore year. He’s been with us all the way throughout. He was a great high school champion quarterback doing everything. He’s the best runner of all of the guys we’ve had. He’s the fastest kid running 4.5 (seconds, 40 yard time). He’s savvy, instinctive football player. He comes in with the good fortune of having everybody come back. He’s the new guy on the block. He took over in Spring practice, was comfortable with it. Completed over seventy percent of his passes, which says something about our defense. That, and only throwing one pick in the spring time is pretty darn good. He won the job and goes into camp in the lead position and now we’ll see what happens.”

Listen to Pete Carroll on KJR in Seattle with Dave “Softy” Mahler

Tags: Pac 10 Football, Pac-10, Pete Carroll, USC, USC Football