Pete Carroll is preparing to face the team that canned him 15 years ago. It’s the furthest thing from his mind.
Carroll, now head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, served as the New England Patriots’ head coach for three seasons before being fired by the organization following the 1999 campaign. He suggested Monday he doesn’t harbor any ill will toward Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The two remain on speaking terms with the Pats and Seahawks set to battle in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium.
“I think we’ve remained in a good relationship and it’s been very consistent,” Carroll told reporters. “Whenever we bump into each other, whenever there is a time for us to cross paths, we always check in and that’s just been the way that it has been. So, in calling him (after the conference championships), it was just a matter of just checking in with him and saying, ‘Hey, didn’t know if we would bump into each other here, but I wanted to make sure to say hello.’”
Carroll enjoyed a ton of success at the college level after being shown the door by New England in 2000. He guided USC to two national championships — the Trojans’ 2004 BCS title has since been vacated due to NCAA sanctions — and reemerged as a hot NFL commodity.
The Seahawks hired Carroll before the 2010 season, and they’ve since been on a roll. Seattle is seeking its second consecutive Super Bowl title.
“I’ve been through so many experiences since then, so many challenges, and it’s really just about evolving as a coach and as a man,” Carroll said, looking back on his time in New England. “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.”
Everything has worked out OK for all parties involved. Carroll has a ring, and his successor in New England, Bill Belichick, has three.
More jewelry hangs in the balance this Sunday.
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
