Pete Carroll Will Be NFL’s Oldest Head Coach At 74 With Las Vegas Raiders Job – Does He Have The Energy To Rebuild The Team?

Pete Carroll, the Super Bowl-winning coach of the Seattle Seahawks, has finalized a deal to become the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. A return to the NFL after many thought his head-coaching career had ended.

Carroll and the Raiders agreed on a three-year contract with a fourth-year option. He returns to the sidelines in Las Vegas after stepping away from the Seahawks at the end of the 2023 season.

Since moving from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020, the Raiders have cycled through four head coaches, including interims, with Carroll becoming the fifth. He now joins a list of coaches under Mark Davis‘ ownership stretching back to 2011, totaling nine when interims are included. The group features Hue Jackson, Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano, Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden, Rich Bisaccia, Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce. 

Carroll, the most successful coach in Seahawks history, now faces the challenge of rebuilding the Raiders. His career record of 170-120-1 across stints with the Seahawks, Patriots, and Jets, along with his success at USC and Seattle in similar rebuilds, suggests that he has the tools to turn the team around.

Carroll’s hiring comes with a touch of irony for Raiders minority owner Tom Brady. 

Brady, heavily involved in the coaching search, defeated Carroll’s Seahawks on Feb. 1, 2015, to claim one of his seven Super Bowl titles.

When the regular season begins, Carroll will become the oldest head coach in NFL history, turning 74 in September. He will break the previous mark of 73 set by Romeo Crennel during his stint as interim head coach of the Texans.

The Raiders’ last playoff win came after their 2002 Super Bowl appearance. It’s up to Carroll to help them break that dry spell.