Rumors abound..Mort reporting Sneaky Pete to fly the coup...

[JCoz]

Serious smoke here.....Petey to Seattle, no doubt avoiding pending NCAA sactions if true.....

Quote:
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that the Seahawks' hire of USC's Pete Carroll to be their next head coach is "looming."
According to the LA Times, the Seahawks interviewed Carroll earlier this week, and Mortensen says he has "multiple sources now confirming" that Carroll will replace Jim Mora. Seahawks beat writer Danny O'Neil reports Carroll is in the process of building a coaching staff, specifically targeting UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker. Carroll's offensive coordinator hire will have the biggest fantasy impact. Carroll is a defensive mind.

Quote:
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Pete Carroll would likely bring USC offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates with him to Seattle should the Seahawks hire Carroll as their next head coach.
The Bears suddenly have real competition for Bates, and may want to speed up their courting of him. Like Carroll, Bates was in the NFL previous to his time at Southern Cal. He has a history of tutoring young QBs (early-career Jay Cutler, USC true freshman starter Matt Barkley), so his potential addition might hint that Seattle will draft a signal caller early in April.

Quote:
The following tweet comes from the Twitter account of FOX Sports.com's Jay Glazer:

"2 ppl close to pete carroll told me seattle dangling an exhorbitant amount of money at him. very substantial!"

[JCoz]

UNCONFIRMED!! fair warning there.....

This posted on the USC scout board: Says ESPN radio reporting...

Pete has agreed to a 5 year 22.5 Million dollar contract to become the coach of the Seattle Seahawks! He also will hold the title of VP of Player Draft - working directly with the GM. While Pete wanted to be GM and Coach, the Owner Paul Allen did not want to do it again after the Holmgren deal.

Pete wants 50/50 say on all player decisions from the Draft, Free Agency and Releases. Plus he has confirmed that Bates will be the OC and he is working on getting some other staff members that are currently on NFL teams not in the playoffs.

[Erie Warrior]

Probably a good move for him, right now. Seattle is ancient and bad, so it's his club to build. That being said, CFB is where it's at. If I had the choice, I'd stay with the college guys every time.

[noles1]

Pete is going to leave USC and they everything is going to explode. The have been a powder keg for sanctions and issues for about 5+ years now and it is going to be fun to see what is going to remain in 2-3 years...

Expect a mass exodus and major issues relating to probations, etc.

[dmiles]

Do you think we've entered a different realm of college football where USC won't be affected by this? Obviously they made some garbage hires there for quite some time and Petey comes along and builds the whole thing back up.

Seems to me some marquis coach could come in and keep this thing going. Who is the next Brian Kelly that will jump ship? Are sanctions a sure thing? One thing I see though is that the Pac-10 has some upgraded coaching around the conference and you have to think Rick and Harbaugh (Sarkisian) will come in and swoop up some prized SoCal Recruits.

My son's HS team lost in the CIF semi-final playoffs to Mission Bay and they have this kid Dillon Baxter. Wow was he something to see. Rushed for around 3000 yards this year and had a great arm on top of that. He's been a USC recruit since 10th grade. For whatever reason the other top recruits in the area all selected Oklahoma including one who backed out of UCLA. Getting back to Baxter they could not stop our team in the playoff game. We had a kid go for 300+ yards in 13 carries. back and forth no D on either side, and finally the other team wised up and put Baxter out there at Safety (we run double Wing-T) and the one freaking pass we throw he picks off. In a see-saw game where nobody is getting stops, that just kills you. We held him to 188 yards rushing his lowest total of the season but his passing was 14-17 with 4 TDs I think. Everything right on the money.

For you guys that know the recruiting game at what point are commitments binding? Say if Pete is gone is there a time recruits can back out?

[Cease]

This is a good move for Ohio State. Won't mind seeing him go to the pros...

[furls]

For you guys that know the recruiting game at what point are commitments binding? Say if Pete is gone is there a time recruits can back out?

Nothing is binding at all until NLOI day, Feb 3rd. and it is only binding then if and only if the kid signs. There is still time for all those USC commits to back out and get one of OSU's 4-6 remaining scholarships. They had better hurry though, spaces will be filling up fast.

[danwismar]

done deal now, from what everyone is reporting.

Petey had to know the NCAA shoe is about to drop, and so he'll split and watch the program and the whole USC athletic department implode. When the NCAA's multi-year, multi-sport report finally comes out and sanctions are imposed, with Carroll no longer around to be held accountable for the violations, or to suffer under the penalties along with the kids he recruited there...well, let's just say he might not be too well thought of there a few years down the road.

Then again, maybe an NC excuses all.

[danwismar]

For you guys that know the recruiting game at what point are commitments binding? Say if Pete is gone is there a time recruits can back out?

Nothing is binding at all until NLOI day, Feb 3rd. and it is only binding then if and only if the kid signs. There is still time for all those USC commits to back out and get one of OSU's 4-6 remaining scholarships. They had better hurry though, spaces will be filling up fast.

This could affect Seantrel Henderson for sure...maybe tilt him toward OSU, if he's not tilted there already. Who else, Furls, Coz? Anyone we can realistically get? or want? Shaw maybe? or was he a UF commit? I forget.

[JCoz]

For you guys that know the recruiting game at what point are commitments binding? Say if Pete is gone is there a time recruits can back out?

Nothing is binding at all until NLOI day, Feb 3rd. and it is only binding then if and only if the kid signs. There is still time for all those USC commits to back out and get one of OSU's 4-6 remaining scholarships. They had better hurry though, spaces will be filling up fast.

This could affect Seantrel Henderson for sure...maybe tilt him toward OSU, if he's not tilted there already. Who else, Furls, Coz? Anyone we can realistically get? or want? Shaw maybe? or was he a UF commit? I forget.

I think you're on point with Henderson....he seemingly took the Meyer thing more seriously than Floyd, and with Petey flying the coup, we are sort of the last man standing unless a serious upset happens and he stays home....as least from my viewpoint.

Shaw's still solid with UF...I don't think there were any others as far as USC current verbals and I do not think we were in direct comp with any other recruits....Prater we were in on a long time ago, but I have to think if he bolts its for the domers......

[Cerebral_DownTime]

FWIW, ESPN's sports ticker has the deal at 5 Year/$35 Million.

I wonder if the hammer is coming down on USC.

[leadpipe]

I have no idea whether the upcoming, seemingly inevitable sanctions are the impetus for his flight - maybe he just has a huge desire to succeed at the next level. But man, he's not going to win here in the public eye. This is going to be trumpeted in the media as Good Ol'e Pete leaving USC holding the bag.

Not sure if I gotta read on this guy. Seems pretty genuine in the fact he's considered a great guy, on the other hand I also sense maybe I'm being sold a little snake oil as well.

Lastly, I also can't say he will not succeed in the pro's - I haven't seen enough, but the guy certainly seems to be a poster boy for college athletics, that is, I suppose, if everything is at it appears.

[furls]

This is a big loss for NCAA football. The NCAA is a better place with a bunch of rock stars in LA. It looks like the U was finally getting their act together, there was a reason for hope and optimism for FSU and ND, 'Bama is good. NCAAF is better with its super powers intact and this is going to end the era of USC, Pete was the lifeblood of USC football. Who is going to carry the torch in the PAC-10? The Oragina Ducks, the Oregon State Beavers, more disappointments from the underachieving hippies at Cal, or will the league sink to the point where Arizona is relevant? I think it just causes parity (actually mediocrity) in the PAC-10 and in the NCAA as a whole.

I am not a fan of sleazy recruiting, cheating, or the special treatment. I am a fan of superior college football teams and for me this is a bad day NCAA football.

[furls]

This could affect Seantrel Henderson for sure...maybe tilt him toward OSU, if he's not tilted there already. Who else, Furls, Coz? Anyone we can realistically get? or want? Shaw maybe? or was he a UF commit? I forget.

We don't seem to have been going to toe to toe with USC that much this year. Now if Meyer had not unretired.... Henderson is supposed to be an OSU lean with UF and ND still in play.

[peeker643]

These guys are Gods.

Carroll, Meyer, Saban, etc are effing gods on their respective campuses and across the country. Guys like that make $4m-$6m a year when all is said and done and they answer to nobody. They're untouchable as long as losses plus shed-like incidents remain low.

I've never understood these guys moving to the NFL.

Other than ego there is simply zero reason to do it. Not the pay, not the say.

So yeah, it appears to me that enormous egos are part of what makes them the college coaches they are and most of what compels them to look for other challenges/opportunities.

But god damn, to be a premier college coach and have all that comes with it? I can't imagine wanting more.

[pod2dawg]

The time is right for Pete to head north and cash in again. He feels the heat from an upcoming deposition RE: Bush"s percs and USC is ranked 20th preseason next year.
The rest of the PAC 10 has finally caught up to him.

< He is a Pirate. Ego and timing have himswitching to Sundays. Don't worrow he'll be able to get by.

[jb]

Pete is going to leave USC and they everything is going to explode. The have been a powder keg for sanctions and issues for about 5+ years now and it is going to be fun to see what is going to remain in 2-3 years...

Expect a mass exodus and major issues relating to probations, etc.

If there is any justice, I sure as hell hope so.

This program has been renegade for so long but the NCAA lacked the brass to do the right thing.

They better not do that "give up the victories" BS and hammer them with schollie hits -- or the death penalty. Everyone knows those kids are getting p-a-i-d.

[jb]

The time is right for Pete to head north and cash in again. He feels the heat from an upcoming deposition RE: Bush"s percs and USC is ranked 20th preseason next year.
The rest of the PAC 10 has finally caught up to him.

< He is a Pirate. Ego and timing have himswitching to Sundays. Don't worrow he'll be able to get by.

Realy?


I see epic fail for Pete on Sunday.

Again.

He's a college coach.

[JCoz]

The time is right for Pete to head north and cash in again. He feels the heat from an upcoming deposition RE: Bush"s percs and USC is ranked 20th preseason next year.
The rest of the PAC 10 has finally caught up to him.

< He is a Pirate. Ego and timing have himswitching to Sundays. Don't worrow he'll be able to get by.

Realy?


I see epic fail for Pete on Sunday.

Again.

He's a college coach.

A while ago I might have agreed, now I think he will succeed. Read up on some of his old NFL stuff.

[peeker643]

The time is right for Pete to head north and cash in again. He feels the heat from an upcoming deposition RE: Bush"s percs and USC is ranked 20th preseason next year.
The rest of the PAC 10 has finally caught up to him.

< He is a Pirate. Ego and timing have himswitching to Sundays. Don't worrow he'll be able to get by.

Realy?


I see epic fail for Pete on Sunday.

Again.

He's a college coach.

A while ago I might have agreed, now I think he will succeed. Read up on some of his old NFL stuff.

Dude, you're deserving of both getting and giving some respect here. You can't drive by with a "read up on..." blast without something more specific than that.

Comes off a little 'Fergusy' is all I'm saying and I know you didn't mean it to be.

[JCoz]

The time is right for Pete to head north and cash in again. He feels the heat from an upcoming deposition RE: Bush"s percs and USC is ranked 20th preseason next year.
The rest of the PAC 10 has finally caught up to him.

< He is a Pirate. Ego and timing have himswitching to Sundays. Don't worrow he'll be able to get by.

Realy?


I see epic fail for Pete on Sunday.

Again.

He's a college coach.

A while ago I might have agreed, now I think he will succeed. Read up on some of his old NFL stuff.

Dude, you're deserving of both getting and giving some respect here. You can't drive by with a "read up on..." blast without something more specific than that.

Comes off a little 'Fergusy' is all I'm saying and I know you didn't mean it to be.

Just a misunderstanding there Peek, I didn't mean it as a blast at all.

Its just that lately I was reading up on his stay in the NFL it wasnt the failure I always considered it....

I just meant for JB to try reading into some of it too, he might come up with similar conclusions....its still mostly a shot in the dark opinion of mine..

But I will try and find some of the stuff I was reading and post links...

[JCoz]

Winning record, 2 playoff appearances, and one playoff win. Not fantastic, but NOT what I had seemed to remember. I think it he chooses his staff wisely, he has a very good chance to succeed. A HUGE question I have is how he chooses players in the draft. We don't know square one about him evaluating NFL talent. He would do well to surround himself with proven people to help with that.

We'll see if he goes all butch Davis on the draft, that will define success or failure really quick when you get handed the reigns..

Again, my view is that I think he just might be the right choice here. I really don't KNOW one way or the other....

Wiki overview:
National Football League (1984–1999)

Carroll left Pacific after a year and entered the NFL in 1984 as the defensive backs coach of the Buffalo Bills. The next year he moved onto the Minnesota Vikings where he held a similar position for five seasons (1985–89).[5] In 1989, he was a candidate for the head coaching position at Stanford University; the position went to Dennis Green.[12] His success with the Vikings led to his hiring by the New York Jets, where he served as defensive coordinator under Bruce Coslet for four seasons (1990–93). When there was an opening for the Vikings' head coach position in 1992, he was a serious candidate but lost the position, again to Green.[5]

In 1994, Carroll was elevated to head coach of the Jets. Known for energy and youthful enthusiasm, Carroll painted a basketball court in the parking lot of the team's practice facility where he and his assistant coaches regularly played three-on-three games during their spare time.[13] The Jets got off to a 6–4 start under Carroll, but in week 12, he was the victim of Dan Marino's clock play that led to a Miami Dolphins game winning touchdown. The Jets lost all of their remaining games to finish 6–10. He was fired after one season.[13][14]

Carroll was hired for the next season by the San Francisco 49ers, where he served as defensive coordinator for the following two seasons (1995–96). His return to success as the defensive coordinator led to his hiring as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 1997, replacing coach Bill Parcells, who had resigned after disputes with the team's ownership. His 1997 Patriots team won the AFC East division title, but his subsequent two teams did not fare as well—losing in the wild card playoff round in 1998, and missing the playoffs after a late-season slide in 1999—and he was fired after the 1999 season. Patriots owner Robert Kraft said firing Carroll was one of the toughest decisions he has had to make since buying the team, stating "A lot of things were going on that made it difficult for him to stay, some of which were out of his control. And it began with following a legend."[13] Before leaving for college football he coached with the Seattle Seahawks as cornerbacks coach. His combined NFL record as head coach was 33–31.

Even though several NFL teams approached him with defensive coordinator positions, Carroll instead spent the 2000 season as a consultant for pro and college teams, doing charitable work for the NFL and writing a column about pro football for CNNSI.com.[12][15]

[peeker643]

I understand better where you're coming from after that.

I assumed during his previous go rounds he was the college 'coach du jour' and just flat lined at that level. Wasn't aware he did experience a modicum of success.

People learn, people grow. With more control and more experience under his belt he may have a run in him in Seattle.

Still, to me, he fit in LA. And I think the sanctions and impending punishment had a lot to do with him leaving.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Peek is still mad Jamey Carroll wasn't under his Christmas tree.

I don't think Pete will be a good or bad coach. He'll just be a mediocre coach, like he was before.

I did hear he had to give a deposition in the Reggie Bush investigation (They're still investigating that?).

[Bayou Tribe]

A huge shot to SC recruiting, Ken Norton Jr has confirmed he is going to Seattle as well to coach linebackers.

[jb]

The time is right for Pete to head north and cash in again. He feels the heat from an upcoming deposition RE: Bush"s percs and USC is ranked 20th preseason next year.
The rest of the PAC 10 has finally caught up to him.

< He is a Pirate. Ego and timing have himswitching to Sundays. Don't worrow he'll be able to get by.

Realy?


I see epic fail for Pete on Sunday.

Again.

He's a college coach.

A while ago I might have agreed, now I think he will succeed. Read up on some of his old NFL stuff.

Fergie,

You are right. I was engaging in hyperbole. Extreme take.

There are a couple things you always need to remember about me. I don't have the most analytical takes on the boards always. I often shoot from the hip. I like to muckrake with those who can take it, bust balls with those who can take it. Then I just try to keep it going so the boards aren't boring.

But I have a psychotic historical memory / background when to comes to the game. So I don't need to read up. I lived through the Pete carroll years as a fan. I just need to come correct.

"Epic Fail" was too strong. Point, yours.

But in his mediocre stints w/ the Jets and NE (where he took over a strong team and underachieved) he was defined by a certain softness and not really respected. Now, much of this was the good ole NY media pricks, I grant you. But Pete has awlays been a rah-rah, nice guy who is almost pastoral in his approach. I guess it worked for Levy (although I always thought he had a Lee marvin thing happeneing to match his Harvard-ness) , but it never did for pete. He was repected by his QB's as an assistant, but always had a credibility gap with his team. Until he went to SC.

Now, I believe that coaches can learn. Sure. But I don't know what Pete learned at SC except how to turn a blind eye to boosters running amok cheating their asses off and how to win one title when you have by far the best athletes in the NCAA for a period of about 7 seasons and play in a conference that was rather easy to dominate. UCLA has been as bad or worse than Dick Rod's UM team now for years, You Dub historically bad, Zona State off the earth's face. Only Oreygun has been consistently anything good, and Hargaugh is mking progress.

I just don't think Pete is an NFL coach make-up wise. Those tend to be more tough-guy types.

[DrPoove]

Peek is still mad Jamey Carroll WITH ONLY A COFFEE MUG wasn't under his Christmas tree.

Fixed that for you, Lurch.

[furls]

JB,

I tend to agree with you about Pete. He strikes me as more of a father figure/mentor type than the kind of guy that works well with million dollar egos. I think Pete will probably regret this choice, and my goodness, this my cause a major shift in power in the PAC-10. Pete Carroll's hollywoodness and name was a big part of that recruiting success. I am not saying that the program will fall to hell in a hand basket, but there is now some very serious opportunity for someone to step in. I don' think this hurts USC in local/regional recruiting, but it will definitely put a dent in national recruiting in the next year or two unless USC can find another sexy name to dangle out there to put these kids minds at ease.

[pup]

JB,

I tend to agree with you about Pete. He strikes me as more of a father figure/mentor type than the kind of guy that works well with million dollar egos. I think Pete will probably regret this choice, and my goodness, this my cause a major shift in power in the PAC-10. Pete Carroll's hollywoodness and name was a big part of that recruiting success. I am not saying that the program will fall to hell in a hand basket, but there is now some very serious opportunity for someone to step in. I don' think this hurts USC in local/regional recruiting, but it will definitely put a dent in national recruiting in the next year or two unless USC can find another sexy name to dangle out there to put these kids minds at ease.

Pete Carrol, Head Coach, University of Miami Hurricanes, 2011.

[jb]

I am not saying that the program will fall to hell in a hand basket, but there is now some very serious opportunity for someone to step in.

Furls, us guys with a little gery on th etemples (or in peeker's case......) are wise enough to not take USC being great for granted. We recall the Ted Tollner demise and the larry Smith yers whne SC then = ND now.

If the NCAA does the right thing and levvies scholarship reductions, monitors the program outside of institutional control, or worse, I can see the perfect storm blowing in to lay waste to Troy. Good time to be at UCLA IMO.

If they take away 2004 & 05's record book and Bush's Heisman and nothing else, it will be a travesty.

[peeker643]

I am not saying that the program will fall to hell in a hand basket, but there is now some very serious opportunity for someone to step in.

Furls, us guys with a little gery on th etemples (or in peeker's case......)

I opted to remove any possibility of 'gery on th etemples'. i was afraid of it mostly because I'm not sure what it is.

[fabs227]

To be honest as an OSU fan I love the fact this guy is going to the NFL. I think even though the evil empire that is ESPN and the reporters are saying this has nothing to do with the Reggie Bush and Joe McKnight allegations I think personally it is. Why would Pete Carroll leave a place where he constantly win, walk into any SOCAL living room and get that particular recruit? It has to be allegations. I think Pete Carroll will do anything to win and did! Good riddance!

[furls]

I am not so naive as to think that no one on the OSU roster has ever received an illegal benefit, so I will refrain from throwing that stone. I will just say that I like the world in which there are great programs. The demise of USC is a bad thing for the NCAAF that I love. I love it when college football is dominated by elite NATIONAL programs, and I long for the days when Nebraska (near future), Miami, FSU, USC, ND, OSU, and even scUM are great. Parity in college football = mediocrity.

[dmiles]

Dillon Baxter the kid I mentioned the other day that seemed to beat our team in the CIF semi-finals is looking elsewhere. Seems to be all over the blogs/forums, and he is not the only one. Hope Michigan doesn't come in...

http://www.bustersports.com/blog/buster-blog/2010/01/11/usc-possibly-losing-recruits-from-carrolls-departure/

[JCoz]

I am not so naive as to think that no one on the OSU roster has ever received an illegal benefit, so I will refrain from throwing that stone. I will just say that I like the world in which there are great programs. The demise of USC is a bad thing for the NCAAF that I love. I love it when college football is dominated by elite NATIONAL programs, and I long for the days when Nebraska (near future), Miami, FSU, USC, ND, OSU, and even scUM are great. Parity in college football = mediocrity.

Nebraska? From what I've been reading, Bo's finding out just how hard it is to recruit kids to lincoln, and he'll bolt the second a better opp presents itself. I even read somewhere that it has been whispered that it has been soo bad (compared to LSU) that he would even consider taking a job like D-coordinator at OSU if he had head coach in waiting status....

I think Lincoln may be dead. The hire they needed to make was Paul Johnson.

[jb]

Looks like del Rio is coming per Bristol CN.

Not exactly a sign that the walls of Troy are coming down by the NCAA.

Edit - nevermind

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/n ... id=4818442

[JCoz]

Looks like del Rio is ocming per Bristol CN.

Not exactly a sign that the walls of Troy are coming down by the NCAA.

We'll all know by April at the latest.....

NCAA probe of USC complete
By Charles Robinson and Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports
Jan 11, 4:54 pm EST


After almost four years of investigation, the NCAA’s probe into the University of Southern California athletic program has reached a conclusion. Sources familiar with the investigation have told Yahoo! Sports that the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions will meet Feb. 19-21 to address what investigators uncovered at USC. According to typical NCAA procedures, if sanctions are necessary, they will be determined and then made public via a news conference within six to eight weeks of the February hearing.

NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn declined comment. The NCAA’s website indicates the next meeting of the Committee on Infractions will occur Feb. 19-21 in Tempe, Ariz.

Neither USC nor Pac-10 officials could be immediately reached for comment.

The meeting will be the apex in the NCAA’s probe into USC’s athletic program, as it represents the first determination on whether sanctions should be leveled against the school. The determination on a hearing date also indicates USC has received a letter of allegations from the NCAA and that the school has responded in some way. According to NCAA procedures, schools informed of infractions have at least 90 days to respond. After the response period has expired, a case summary is completed and a date is set for the Committee on Infractions to meet and determine whether there is a basis for sanctioning.

The NCAA’s investigation of USC has been ongoing since April 2006, when a series of Yahoo! Sports reports detailed allegations of extra benefits given to running back Reggie Bush and his family by a failed sports marketing company. Since then, the probe has come to encompass former Trojans basketball star O.J. Mayo and the men’s basketball program, after a report by ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” detailed benefits that allegedly had been funneled to Mayo. Former Trojans basketball coach Tim Floyd abruptly resigned after a Yahoo! Sports report detailed an alleged $1,000 cash payment from Floyd to a man who had helped steer Mayo to USC. The investigation is believed to also include Trojans running back Joe McKnight, whose use of a 2006 Land Rover and ties to a marketing entrepreneur in Santa Monica also have come under scrutiny after a recent report in the Los Angeles Times.

Recent developments at USC, including its decision to self-sanction its basketball program, appear to have occurred after the Trojans received the NCAA’s letter of allegations. News of the hearing also indicates that former Trojans football coach Pete Carroll has been aware for weeks of the specific violations the NCAA may be alleging against his program. Carroll resigned as USC football coach on Sunday and has been named coach of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.

The NCAA probe has stretched beyond individual athletes, widening its focus to USC’s control of its sports programs, as well as various aspects of compliance and oversight, according to sources. It is expected to make conclusions on USC’s institutional control and whether the school had the proper checks and balances in place to oversee its athletes.

USC already sanctioned itself for NCAA violations during the 2007-08 season related to Mayo allegedly having accepted benefits from known sports agency runner Rodney Guillory. The penalties levied by USC included a ban on postseason play, a reduction of scholarships, recruiting restrictions and the vacation of all victories from the 2007-08 season. Both Mayo, through his agent, and Floyd have denied wrongdoing.

[jb]

The meeting will be the apex in the ... probe

So this is code speak that USC is gonna get screwed up the......