Why was Pete Carroll fired anyway?

[sb1]

I know the team went from 6-2 to 8-8 that year and Grier was taking shots at him at the end but... 8-8 isn't that bad and it was his first playoffs miss with us. Other coaches have stayed on with worse records.

Not that I'm complaining with what we know now. But I don't think Belichick was on the radar yet - right? Or maybe Kraft knew something we didn't....

 

[h0c2000]

he sucked here.

 

[sb1]

he sucked here.

His record as Pats coach was 27-21 and 1-2 in playoffs. I don't think he sucked.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

Actually, this had more to do with Bob Kraft being a learning-on-the-job owner than anything to do with Pete. Kraft has said as much...players were allowed direct access to the owner when they didn't like something Pete did or said. That NEVER works. It's why, other than Brady, the buck has stopped with BB as far as players go.

 

[sb1]

The thing that annoyed me about that era was the freaking Jest were on top of the division with the guy that ditched the Patriots right before a Super Bowl.

 

[letsgopats]

I'm not from that time, but we can image it is the same situations that the Lions are in right now.

 

[Pape]

I know the team went from 6-2 to 8-8 that year and Grier was taking shots at him at the end but... 8-8 isn't that bad and it was his first playoffs miss with us. Other coaches have stayed on with worse records.

Not that I'm complaining with what we know now. But I don't think Belichick was on the radar yet - right? Or maybe Kraft knew something we didn't....

he took a perennial top defense, turned it into a mediocre unit...
he took a shaky offense and made it even worse...

they went from 2nd in the division to 5th... he was not the right coach for this team

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

He sucker punched Steve Belichick before the Super Bowl.

 

[borg]

-He wasn’t winning enough with the perceived franchise QB
-He ran too loose of a program compared to the Fat Tuna who took the team to the big game. On a comparison basis, Kraft had seen enough and wanted to return to a Parcell’s type approach

 

[neckroll#14]

funny - people thing Pete sucked and Tuna was great, yet their records (while coaching for the Pats) were .563 vs .500 (reg season)

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I wasn’t impressed by his job here and okay with the firing/decision to part ways (im not sure if he was fired or if kraft allowed him to step away). He inherited a super bowl team with loads of young talent. Each year after for 3 years the team got worse and the final season had deteriorated to a .500 team, in a poor situation cap wise.

 

[borg]

Curran’s take:

Curran: Carroll's journey from Pats' pariah to Seahawks staple

Pete Carroll had plenty of doubters in New England during his Patriots tenure. More than two decades later, he’s still proving them wrong, writes Tom E. Curran.

www.nbcsports.com

 

[JMC00]

Pats finished last in the East and Kraft had wanted Belichick for a few years

 

[TheRainMaker]

Kraft initially wanted to hire BB after Parcells, but knew it wasn't the right time for BB. Kraft almost hired Dom Capers, but went with Carroll who was a hot candidate from the 49ers.

The Pats were trending in the wrong direction (10-6, 9-7, 8-8) and the roster was deteriorating. Carroll/Grier tried to fix the ground game after Edwards got injured as rumors circulated they were interested in trading for Jamal Anderson (Falcons) as he wanted a new deal. They also tried to trade with the Colts to so they could take Edgerin James, but the Colts weren't having it. Then they tried to get Priest Holmes in either '99 or after Carroll left but nothing materialized (what a shame that was). They ended up with Terry Allen and a young/fumbling prone Kevin Faulk.

Carroll lost the team as pointed out many times he wanted the offense to take a timeout during the '98 MNF game against the Dolphins, but they ignored him and ended up scoring (I think).

D was getting old and the O-line was overpaid and not playing up to their contracts.

BB got back in the spotlight on MNF after the game plan he came up with the slow down the 6-2 Pats that had a pretty good passing attack despite no running game and a shaky O-line. He did it again (twice) against Peyton Manning who's offense was making defenses look stupid. The Jets didn't win, but they frustrated Manning holding them to 16 and 13 points.

Kraft wanted the bleeding to stop after a 2-6 finish in '99 and saw the opportunity with BB after Parcells retired.

 

[Nunchucks]

His record as Pats coach was 27-21 and 1-2 in playoffs. I don't think he sucked.

He took a young superbowl team and got it to perform at 8-8. He sucked here, though he was pumped and jacked. Let me repeat, he sucked really bad...Patriots won some games due to talent alone, but too often the Patriots just did not come to play.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

The 1999 team was a Vinatieri miss in KC and a failed 4th down stop against Miami from being 8-0. Things looked so bright heading into the bye. Then a complete loser of a team showed up for the 2nd half of the season. The nadir was when they went into Philly for a must win and completely crapped the bed, turned it over *seven* times, lost big and gave the Eagles only their 4th win of the year. It was the total opposite of the prior season when a Zolak-led team secured a playoff spot in a spirited win over Steve Young's 49ers. The 3yr trend line was clearly pointing down and Kraft rightfully had enough.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Chevy]

Actually, this had more to do with Bob Kraft being a learning-on-the-job owner than anything to do with Pete. Kraft has said as much...players were allowed direct access to the owner when they didn't like something Pete did or said. That NEVER works. It's why, other than Brady, the buck has stopped with BB as far as players go.

Bingo. While he was (and is) pretty damn savvy when it comes to business, he did repeatedly shoot himself in the foot as an owner.

Hire Parcels - lock him out of the grocery shopping

Hire Pete - Hey Pete, meet Bobby Grier.

Then he got it. Hire BB, get (almost all the way) out of the way.

 

[wizwor]

I don't think the players and coaching staff respected him. I heard that Kraft was hot for Belichick before Parcells quit.

 

[TinhWoodhead]

Main reason was he was consuming too much chewing gums

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

funny - people thing Pete sucked and Tuna was great, yet their records (while coaching for the Pats) were .563 vs .500 (reg season)

Seriously??? Parcells took over a 2-14 team and had them in the Super Bowl in his 4th year.... Pete was trending downward after taking over a Super Bowl team.....