At 73, Pete Carroll is the NFL’s oldest head coach, but his youthful energy and passion are still evident. At his Las Vegas Raiders introductory conference, only one person matched his enthusiasm – former running back Marshawn Lynch, who enthusiastically shouted “Raaiiddeers!”” when Carroll pledged to fill Allegiant Stadium with fans of the home team.
Opposing fans often make it feel like a neutral or away game for the Raiders. Carroll jokingly told owner Mark Davis, “Hey, Mark, settle down a little bit.”
Carroll has a history with Lynch, who won a Super Bowl together with the Seattle Seahawks. In 2015, Lynch retired, but he returned to play with the Raiders in 2017. He then rejoined the Seahawks at the end of the 2019 season and eventually transitioned into an acting career.
Although Lynch will not be part of Carroll’s team, he has the coach’s support, as do the fans, who are eager for the coach to bring back the glory years to the Raiders. Under Carroll’s previous coaching stints, he turned around floundering programs, including USC and the Seattle Seahawks. Now, he’s looking to do the same for the Raiders, who are a reclamation project after 27 years without a playoff win.
Carroll has a strong track record of success, leading the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title and two national championships with USC. He is committed to starting his rebuilding project immediately, without waiting for several years. “It took us a few years to get to the very top of the last couple of programs I was with. We’re starting right now, going for it immediately. We don’t have some time that we’ve got to make it five, six years down the road. That’s not what we’re thinking. We’ve got to start right now to go after it and build this team as quickly as we can.”