Pete Carroll on Matt Cassel

[JDSal45]

Pete Carroll on Matt Cassel, whom he coached at USC:

Everybody's really pumped up for Matt [Cassel]. What an incredible story about a guy persevering and just hanging through all of the times and all of the bad matchups he's had with all the Heisman guys and maybe the best football player ever in the history of the NFL. Tom Brady, with all of his wins and championships, that's what he plays behind.

The other side of it? Matt has been brought up well and he's been in that program for a long time. This is not a guy that's going to get thrown to the wolves that hasn't had an opportunity to learn that system and all of that. He's really athletic, he's tough, he's got a great arm, he knows what's going on, and he's got a beautiful team around him. It'll be interesting to see how the chemistry works.

It's a great challenge. It's a very difficult challenge for a starting quarterback for the first time. But he's had the preparation. So we'll wish him the best. He's going against the Jets, I guess, which is awesome.

It's Cassel vs. Favre! Great matchup! Beautiful!

-- USC coach Pete Carroll

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/allthingstrojan/2008/09/pete-carroll--1.html

J D Sal

 

[oldskool138]

That's not good news. Pete's grasp on evaluating talent at the NFL level is suspect at best.

 

[PatsDeb]

Uh Oh. Pumped & Jacked!? Now we're in trouble!!

 

[signbabybrady]

Pete Carroll on Matt Cassel, whom he coached at USC:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/allthingstrojan/2008/09/pete-carroll--1.html

J D Sal

I can't believe the first line included the word Pumped. he left out the jacked but I am sure they are pumped and jacked around there

 

[363839]

I liked Pete Carroll and I don't think he had the full opportunity here as head coach with Bobby Grier as GM. BG was not a great evaluator of talent and it cost Carroll his job here.
I'm glad to see his success at USC and that he is not bitter at NE fans.

 

[BPF]

That's not good news. Pete's grasp on evaluating talent at the NFL level is suspect at best.

Grier was the talent collector/evaluator for Pete Carroll. Carroll was only the coach and they did not communicate at all, a coach and VP of Player Personnel need to be on the same page at all times like BB and Pioli. Grier also constantly undercut Carroll's authority by having an open door policy with players. If you remember he had players going to him whenever they disagreed with the coach. When the coach doesn't have final authority those things tend to happen. It's obvious Carroll can evaluate and collect talent, just look at USC. Another problem Pete had according to Jonathan Kraft was that he was a better teacher than a manager. As a coach you need to be both. As a great defensive coordinator in the NFL I think we can trust Carroll's opinion about a QB, after all he neutralized some good ones while in the league.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

I can't believe the first line included the word Pumped. he left out the jacked but I am sure they are pumped and jacked around there

When I saw "pumped" in the first line, I cracked up and was looking for "jacked" somewhere else in the story. God bless Pete.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Lifer]

I liked Pete Carroll and I don't think he had the full opportunity here as head coach with Bobby Grier as GM. BG was not a great evaluator of talent and it cost Carroll his job here.
I'm glad to see his success at USC and that he is not bitter at NE fans.

Thank you!!!!!! He wasnt Parcells and he wasnt Belichick but in 1998 Pete Carroll did one of the best coaching jobs getting that team into the playoffs with Bledsoe hurt, Coates hurt, Glenn hurt, Ted Johnson hurt etc etc.

Im happy to see his success at USC.

 

[oldskool138]

It's obvious Carroll can evaluate and collect talent, just look at USC.

That's why I qualified my statement by saying "at the NFL level".

 

[signbabybrady]

That's why I qualified my statement by saying "at the NFL level".

What of the other rebuttles to your statement?

 

[oldskool138]

What of the other rebuttles to your statement?

If the first mate screws up the navigation and the ship runs aground, the captain of the ship is the one ultimately responsible.

If Carroll was getting undercut on personnel decisions, then he should have said something, tried to have Grier fired or quit.

Why did Carroll turn down the 49ers job, then if he's such a great talent evaluator and coach at the NFL level?

 

[primetime]

It's obvious Carroll can evaluate and collect talent, just look at USC. Another problem Pete had according to Jonathan Kraft was that he was a better teacher than a manager.

Carroll is a nice guy. That's great for college, where he can go to a recruit's house and woo his mother by playing the piano for her. In the pros, you need to be much more of a tough guy.

 

[BPF]

Why did Carroll turn down the 49ers job, then if he's such a great talent evaluator and coach at the NFL level?

Why did he turn down the 49ers? I think you are referring to after the 2002 season. They had and have ownership issues and he wasn't offered full control. He also flirted with the Dolphins and Falcons in 2007 and the Redskins as well but no one offered full control like he has at USC. I've heard him say that that would be the only way he comes back to the NFL because he's tried the other route and it didn't work. Also, money and security are two other factors: (1.) With the hundreds of millions he generates for USC, I'm quite sure they would beat any offer from a contract point of view. (2.) Before getting hired at USC Carroll hadn't been at any spot for more than 5 yrs, he is now in his 8th season at USC.

 

[signbabybrady]

If the first mate screws up the navigation and the ship runs aground, the captain of the ship is the one ultimately responsible.

If Carroll was getting undercut on personnel decisions, then he should have said something, tried to have Grier fired or quit.

Why did Carroll turn down the 49ers job, then if he's such a great talent evaluator and coach at the NFL level?

Sorry but that is too funny. You question the guys ability to evaluate talent by asking why he turned down the 49ers job.....maybe because he evaluated that they have no talent.


I hear the best way to be successful in the NFL is to try to get the people around you fired so you have more control. Carroll maybe should have realized that alot of his success would be out of his control when he took the job but to say he should try and get other guys fired to save his ass is wrong. Maybe you are right that Carroll and his style just wouldn't work in the NFL but I still don't see where a very successful Head Coach of a Major College could be considered anything but a good football talent evaluator. There is more to coaching than just recognizing good players (that job is called a scout).

 

[oldskool138]

Also, money and security are two other factors: (1.) With the hundreds of millions he generates for USC, I'm quite sure they would beat any offer from a contract point of view. (2.) Before getting hired at USC Carroll hadn't been at any spot for more than 5 yrs, he is now in his 8th season at USC.

Money and security? If the guy's a good coach, then he won't have to worry about those things. Ask BB or Dungy if they live in fear of getting canned even if they have a sub-.500 season.

 

[Patriotis]

Carroll is a nice guy. That's great for college, where he can go to a recruit's house and woo his mother by playing the piano for her. In the pros, you need to be much more of a tough guy.

You mean like Tony Dungy

 

[Patriotis]

Money and security? If the guy's a good coach, then he won't have to worry about those things. Ask BB or Dungy if they live in fear of getting canned even if they have a sub-.500 season.

So you would risk a sure bet with millions of $$$$ where you have control over your job for something else that you're not completely comfortable with? It seems like Petey wasn't offered full control with these NFL jobs so why risk losing millions of $$$$ to prove to some that you are an NFL coach. I wouldn't do it, especially if I had proven to be a great defensive coordinator in the NFL with consistent top five defenses in the past.