Pete Carroll’s exit from USC was an early indicator of the catastrophe that was going to hit the program. It’s been quite some time since USC called itself one of CFB’s greats. Lincoln Riley ushered in a lot of growth in his first year. But since the Trojans’ campaign has nosedived into failure. For two years now, the Trojans have been languishing with single-digit finishes, and Riley has been grilled for them. He came close to taking USC back to its glory days–a time readily associated with Pete Carroll’s tenure. The former HC’s stint was marked by quite the controversy, but he stepped down from the post as one of USC’s winningest coaches. After nearly missing out on the job to holding it for 9 great years, he shares his thoughts on his illustrious time with the Trojans.

Carroll was not a top choice to replace the problematic void of his fired predecessor, Paul Hackett. The Trojans’ top brass did not feel great about his collegiate coaching experience; he had only been an assistant before moving to the NFL. After a 6-6 start in 2001, USC alumni reportedly called for Carroll’s removal. Then, from 2002 to 2008, Carroll always put the Trojans up for a fight for the Pac-10 conference title. From being passed on in favor of coaches like Mike Riley and Dennis Erickson to bowing out as one of the Trojans’ greatest coaches, Carroll created a period of USC football that not many after him were able to recreate.

He spoke about his time at USC in a June 19 appearance for Get Got Pod with Marshawn Lynch & Mike Robinson. Carroll said that his year off after a poor New England stint set him to pursue the job differently. “After the New England years, I set out that one year and got my act together, got my philosophy together, got the way I could best express, you know, where I was coming from and all that. And then the next thing that happened was USC. You know, after I go to USC and the rest to me, I don’t even mind saying it, the rest was history,” he said. Carroll stands at an impressive record of 83-18. He was the man who took USC to winning ways after John McKay and John Robinson.

He was prompted about his decision to leave the Seahawks, a franchise he led for 14 years. “Let me take you back. How could I have ever left USC?” he shot back. When the hosts joked that it was because of the NIL era taking shape in college football, he stayed silent. But, he did imply that it played a part, by rubbing his fingers (imitating gestures of cash), which had the hosts in peals of laughter. Carroll also explained that the Seattle job was just a better place to be, in terms of structure. “College football is great, but I love the league, the way it’s formatted…  It’s the best of the best and all that kind of stuff. The playoffs and the whole thing, the way it’s structured,” Carroll added about the factors that influenced his decision.

Carroll left USC 5 months before the NCAA came down on the program, keeping his career intact. If he had known what was to come out of the investigations, Carroll said he might’ve stayed.

Pete Carroll would not have left USC if he had known about the punishment

Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo took down USC’s successes in both football and basketball for accepting gifts from agents, violating the NCAA rules. Bush starred in Carroll’s 2004 team that won the National Championship. The duo’s actions led to the NCAA inflicting its harshest decision ever on a program. USC was forced to vacate the last two wins of the 2004 national championship and all of those in the 2025 season. That led to a domino effect, with the Bowl Championship Series taking away their 2004 title. Pete Carroll, before leaving USC, still carried these titles into his Seattle job.

However, he told The Los Angeles Times that he left because the Seattle Seahawks opportunity was “better.” And, he shared the harrowing waiting period the NCAA levied on the USC while they continued their investigation. “The NCAA came back at the university… ‘Now we’re going to revisit after five years.’ I had no knowledge that was coming. We thought maybe it wasn’t coming because they didn’t have anything to get us with. It wasn’t five days, it wasn’t five weeks. It was five years… Had we known that that was imminent … I would never have been able to leave under those circumstances. When I look back now, I would have stayed there to do what we needed to do to resolve the problem,” Carroll added.

He came to an NFL team from a tenure that saw imminent action from the NCAA. He came out at the right time, at least for himself. In Seattle, he won heaps of games and even a Super Bowl, ending his career at 137-89-1. Pete Carroll will now take the reins for the Raiders with a career that is proof of his coaching brilliance.