By Vincent Bonsignore
Las Vegas Assessment-Journal
LAS VEGAS — The Raiders have excessive hopes below coach Pete Carroll, who has a distinguished observe document of turning round dropping packages briefly order.
Can the Raiders anticipate related ends in his first season in Las Vegas?
Right here’s a take a look at Carroll’s first season in his earlier 4 head teaching stops:
New York Jets, 1994
File: 6-10
Carroll, 43 on the time, had spent 4 seasons because the Jets’ defensive coordinator when he was promoted after the firing of Bruce Coslet.
In an indication of issues to come back throughout his profession, Carroll put in a basketball court docket on the Jets’ facility. He emphasised the significance of diet and relaxation, and scaled again the size of practices to attempt to protect his gamers. All of these issues are staples of the fashionable NFL, however it felt revolutionary on the time.
The Jets started the season 2-0 and have been 6-5 once they performed the Dolphins with an opportunity to take over first place within the AFC East. However they misplaced 28-24 after blowing a 24-6 lead, the primary of 5 straight defeats to finish the season.
Shockingly, Carroll was fired after the season.
New England Patriots, 1997
File: 10-6
The Patriots have been coming off a Tremendous Bowl look when Carroll took over from Invoice Parcells, who left New England over a dispute with possession relating to personnel management.
After being fired by the Jets, Carroll had spent two seasons because the defensive coordinator of the 49ers. He interviewed with the Lions, Rams and Patriots through the 1997 hiring cycle.
The affable Carroll was the polar reverse of the strict hard-driving Parcells. That didn’t land effectively with the veteran gamers on the Patriots, lots of whom adored Parcells.
Nonetheless, the Patriots regarded dominant by successful their first 4 video games, outscoring opponents 130-40. However their Week 5 bye broke up the momentum and set the stage for a 1-4 stumble.
Carroll and the Patriots ended up successful 5 of their closing seven video games to win the AFC East. They did it behind an offense and protection that ranked within the prime 10 within the NFL, younger quarterback Drew Bledsoe and operating again Curtis Martin.
Within the first spherical of the playoffs, the Patriots beat the Dolphins 17-3. However the Steelers then ended the Patriots’ season in a 7-6 victory.
USC, 2001
File: 6-6
One of many nation’s most storied packages, USC had fallen right into a rut by the tip of the Nineteen Nineties. However Carroll wasn’t the Trojans’ first selection after they fired Paul Hackett. Among the many coaches who turned down the job have been Oregon State’s Dennis Erickson and Oregon’s Mike Bellotti. Even Chargers coach Mike Riley, a former USC assistant, waffled when the Trojans known as.
That led USC to Carroll, who sat out the 2000 season after getting fired by the Patriots following the 1999 season.
His hiring was unpopular amongst USC followers, however Carroll was undeterred. One in all his first hires was acclaimed offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who would oversee the Heisman Trophy candidacy of quarterback Carson Palmer and one in every of school soccer’s most deadly offenses.
Carroll additionally started setting up the proverbial recruiting fence round talent-rich Southern California, reeling in top-rated native gamers comparable to Winston Justice, Hershel Dennis and Darnell Bing in his first recruiting cycle. That began one of many all-time nice recruiting runs in school soccer historical past.
It was a wrestle initially on the sphere. After beating San Jose State within the season opener, USC dropped 4 straight video games and 5 of six.
A late-season surge noticed the Trojans reel off 4 straight wins, together with a 27-0 beatdown of crosstown rival UCLA, to complete the common season 6-5.
USC misplaced to Utah within the Las Vegas Bowl, however it was apparent a change was taking place in Los Angeles. The Trojans went 11-2 the following season, together with a 38-17 win over No. 3 Iowa within the Orange Bowl. A 12 months later, USC went 12-1 and gained the nationwide championship.
Seattle Seahawks, 2010
File: 7-9
The Seahawks have been coming off a 5-11 season when proprietor Paul Allen supplied Carroll full energy to run the soccer division.
Carroll instantly went to work, hiring Packers personnel man John Schneider as normal supervisor. He additionally retained gifted younger defensive assistants Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn, who each performed big roles within the growth of the Seahawks’ dominant Legion of Increase protection.
Carroll’s first draft was one for the ages as he plucked offensive sort out Russell Okung, security Earl Thomas, vast receiver Golden Tate and defensive again Kam Chancellor.
Of the greater than 200 transactions Carroll made in that first season, the headliner was buying and selling for Payments operating again Marshawn Lynch.
The Seahawks improved by simply two video games in 2010, however the seven wins have been sufficient to win the NFC West. That meant a house playoff recreation in opposition to Drew Brees and the Saints, whom the Seahawks upset 41-26 within the first spherical.
They misplaced to the Bears 35-24 within the second spherical, however a basis had been set.