Yesterday, I told you about the Falcons interest in USC coach Pete Carroll. So much so that they were working hard to secure an interview.
Today comes news that Carroll has talked to the Falcons and is interested in what they have to offer.
Southern California coach Pete Carroll is interested in the Falcons' head coach opening and spoke with Atlanta owner Arthur Blank via phone Wednesday, sources at the American Football Coaches Convention in Anaheim told ESPN's Joe Schad.
Blank, who has also been searching for a general mangager, was expected to offer full control of personnel decisions to Carroll, and the sources said that is what intrigues Carroll most. The coach is currently on vacation in Hawaii.
I know that the Falcons are reeling from their last coaching hire ... bringing in Louisville's Bobby Petrino who quickly bolted for Arkansas ... but this would be huge for the Falcons. This is a franchise that has lost their identity after all this Michael Vick mess. Bringing in not just a college coach ... but a name college coach ... would peak the interest of fans and bring some much needed positive buzz to the franchise.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-10-2008 @ 3:52AM
Jeff Beeton said...
Pete "Poodles" Carroll was a poor NFL coach with the NE Patriots, displaying an inability to lead professional players.
As a Patriots diehard, I have no reason to think he will improve the Falcons over a few years either.
Don't NFL owners learn anything? Can you say "Sabin" Arthur Blank?
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1-10-2008 @ 8:37AM
Moonshine Mike said...
Pete Carrol is Bobby Petrino V2.0 - another big name college coach whose rhetoric does not translate to the professional ranks.
This is a terrible move for Atlanta, and it shows that Arthur Blank is looking more for 'buzz' then building a solid program.
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1-10-2008 @ 9:13AM
Marc Nelson Jr. said...
"would peak the interest of fans"
I think you meant to say 'pique':
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pique
As for Pete Carroll - I'll believe it when I see it. I can only imagine him taking the Falcons job if USC is about to go on probation.
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1-10-2008 @ 9:16AM
Gamecock Man said...
Well, another great college coach is about to bite the dust. He'll probably be run out of town in three years. At least now the NCAA might actually look into recruiting violations at USC.
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1-10-2008 @ 2:27PM
rj said...
i sae uncle pete help take the patriots from the top to the bottom in just 3 yrs. he blamed it on personel decisions by others. true but he also coached this team into the ground with his let's have fun out there approach. works great in college. well atlanta your already at the bottom. bring in pete, plan on a long stay there.
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1-10-2008 @ 2:34PM
al coholic said...
college coaching success doesn't necessarily translate into a great NFL coaching career. If I were writing the checks I'd try a guy with NFL experience, like Mike Singletary or any of the other fine developing coaches we already have in the league.
Dragging a big name college coach into a totally different coaching environment just has too much downside to be considered a good move.
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1-10-2008 @ 6:15PM
stanfordfan said...
Pete Carroll already runs the only professional football team in the country's 2nd largest market. He's royalty in Los Angeles, and he'll just be another pretender once back in the NFL. The USC job is a better job than the Atlanta job, especially for Pete Carroll. Selfishly, as a Stanford fan, I hope he takes the job.
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1-10-2008 @ 8:08PM
Louis C. Kleber said...
Pete Carroll has been an enormous success at USC and is admired by students, faculty and alumni. For him to leave USC for a highly questionable new career in the NFL would be an act bereft of common sense. Remember what happened to USC's great coach, John McKay ... he went out as an "also ran."
Stay with USC, Coach Carroll. You won't regret it.
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