Deal to make Pete Carroll next Seahawks coach is close to done
Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke traveled to Los Angeles on Saturday night to talk to Pete Carroll.
By Danny O’Neil
Seattle Times staff reporter
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Paul Allen, owner of the Seattle Seahawks, will apparently hire Pete Carroll as his coach.
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Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke headed to Los Angeles on Saturday night, planning to meet with Pete Carroll.
Just what Leiweke returns with will depend on what happens in negotiations in the next day or two over the exact titles that might ultimately appear on Carroll’s business cards.
The possibility Carroll will be named Jim Mora’s replacement as head coach is now a probability, but there’s still the semantics of job titles and the not-so-small question of just how much control Carroll might have over Seattle’s football operations.
ESPN reported Saturday morning an agreement was reached in principle to make Carroll head coach and president. But the Seahawks indicated nothing was finalized, and in fact if Carroll is hired as coach, his jurisdiction over personnel would not extend beyond decisions about who makes the 53-man roster.
The Seahawks had no comment, attempts to reach Carroll were unsuccessful and messages from The Seattle Times for his agent, Gary Uberstine, have not been returned.
But while Carroll’s prospective position in Seattle remains a subject of conjecture and disagreement, the Seahawks now have a clear path to hiring Carroll as coach. The Seahawks complied with league protocols by interviewing a minority candidate, according to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The commissioner told reporters the Seahawks had complied before Saturday’s playoff game in Cincinnati, according to a league spokesman.
Leiweke interviewed Leslie Frazier, the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator, Saturday morning in Minneapolis. Frazier is African-American and NFL teams must interview at least one minority candidate for a head-coaching vacancy, a requirement commonly referred to as the Rooney Rule.
Seattle’s interview with Frazier occurred only after the Seahawks specified the type of job Carroll was being considered for. That clarification was requested by the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which monitors compliance with the Rooney Rule.
John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, said the Seahawks had to clarify the role Carroll might fill to make sure Frazier would not be interviewing for a lesser position than Carroll had already been promised.
Wooten said he was told by the Seahawks that Carroll’s potential role would be just like “most” of the coaches in the league.
“Here was their statement to us,” Wooten said. “If Pete Carroll does in fact accept the job and is in fact the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, he will not be in charge of football operations.”
Those football operations would include final decisions in the draft, free agency and trades. Wooten said the Seahawks indicated Carroll would control who makes the team and how much they play.
If Carroll were in consideration to not only coach Seattle but hold final say over football operations, Wooten said he would have recommended against candidates sitting for interviews for the Seahawks coach or general-manager positions.
Given the Seahawks’ clarification, Frazier interviewed for the Seahawks’ head-coaching position, and Seattle is still looking for a general manager. The Seahawks are scheduled to interview Marc Ross, Giants director of college scouting, next week.
The fact Seattle is planning to hire a general manager is one more indication that Carroll’s control of personnel won’t be all-encompassing as was the case when Mike Holmgren was hired in 1999.
Carroll has coached USC the past nine seasons, winning two national championships and having seven seasons of 11 wins or more. This season was the Trojans’ least successful since Carroll’s first year, and USC could be facing NCAA sanctions in the near future.
Carroll has previously flirted with a return to the NFL, and has repeatedly stated he would not return to the league without a say over personnel. Just how large a say Carroll might have if he comes to Seattle is just one of the things that is not yet clear.
Danny O’Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com
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