Pete Carroll Back to The NFL? Not The Best Move With What's Still at USC

Seattle Seahawks' coach Jim Mora was fired after only one season, and ESPN.com has reported that USC coach Pete Carroll is very interested in the job.

Remember that Carroll did coach with the New England Patriots for three seasons, finishing with a 23-21 record before being replaced by Bill Belichick.

Enter USC, who were nothing special in the 1990s before Paul Hackett was let go in 2000.

Carroll arrived at USC in 2001, and since he's turned the Trojans into a powerhouse program, winning seven straight Pac-10 titles, five Rose Bowls, and two national championships (one split with LSU in 2003).

What he has done in USC has been nothing short of amazing, bringing in stacked recruiting class after stacked recruting class every year.

Among the talent from USC during Carroll's tenure were first rounders such as Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Troy Polamalu, and 2009 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Brian Cushing.

So, there is no doubt that USC has been the most consistent program of the decade, but 2009 was not the year USC fans were expecting.

Regardless, as Carroll has typically done, the roster is still very stacked with talent and 2009 could very well end up as just a blip on the radar.

If Carroll left USC, it would be very difficult to find a candidate who can bring the same type of energy and charisma that he has done for the past decade.

But if the NFL is calling, Carroll might be looking for another shot—and he would have a veteran QB in Matt Hasselbeck and be reunited with superstar LB Lofa Tatupu up north.

The hardest part of this would be if Carroll does return to the NFL and doesn't succeed, what if he doesn't get another shot in college where he has made a name for himself?

In the end, Carroll will do whatever he chooses, but he might be best suited to staying at USC, where he should have another chance to get back to the Rose Bowl.

He is among the best in the game at reloading at a lot of positions, and 2010 could possibly be a big year for the Trojans, but only if Carroll stays.

In a perfect world, Carroll would want another shot at the NFL.

But realistically, staying at USC would be the best thing for him.