Pete Carroll still thinks fondly of Bob Kraft
It feels like Bill Belichick has been coaching the Patriots forever, but he hasn’t. There was a coach of the Patriots before Belichick was hired in 2000, and that coach was Pete Carroll.
Carroll, who is preparing to coach the Seahawks against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX, was fired by Patriots owner Robert Kraft after going 8-8 in 1999. And although things didn’t end well for Carroll in New England, Carroll still has warm feelings for Kraft, and Carroll actually called Kraft after the Seahawks and Patriots won the conference championship games.
Former Patriots' greats, Ty Law and Troy Brown have each spoken highly of the work of Pete Carroll. Law told host Michael Felger on Comcast SportsNet New England’s “Postgame Live’’ program that Pete Carroll is the "best defensive coach he ever had." Troy Brown added that Pete was not to blame for the 8-8 season that contributed to the coaching change. "We had a lot of young players who were very immature, and ran roughshod over Pete. The firing was actually a blessing."
There could be something about Pete not being an "East Coast" guy. His rah rah attitude didn't resonate with the Patriots. It sure has worked on the left coast with topnotch coaching performances at the University of Southern California' and with the Seattle Seahawks.
Carroll said. “But, you know, there were a lot of days back in those years when, man, I was just winging it and trying to do the best I could in figuring it out.”
Pete Carroll is a "nice guy." Nice guys don't always finish last.
Paul Murphy is a freelance writer from New Hampshire.
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