Pete Carroll-USC: A Mutually Beneficial Breakup?

Pete Carroll is walking away from USC. It became official last night when he acknowledged his resignation as head coach of the Trojans to take the vacant coaching job with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

The reaction of Trojan fans has been predictable.

"What are we going to do?”

"Mike Garrett should be fired."

"How could Pete Carroll leave us?"

Trojan fans, you need to relax. I know it’s a tough day at USC. I'm hear to tell you, USC football is going to be fine, possibly great.

How can that be, you ask?

First of all, let's be clear about one thing.

The Pete Carroll era at USC is one of the greatest runs in modern college football. Carroll came into a program that had finished LAST in the Pac-10. He turned around USC's recruiting practices, keeping the best talent at home, and cherry-picking five-star players from across the country.

He made you forget the Paul Hackett Era.

After a .500 first season, Carroll's team went on an unprecedented run of seven Pac-10 championships, a 6-1 record in BCS bowl games (7-2 in bowls overall), three Heisman Trophy winners, and two national championships. Overall a 97-19 record.

8-1 against Notre Dame.

8-1 against UCLA.

Pete Carroll's Trojans had top four finishes for seven straight seasons, a record equaled and exceeded only by Bobby Bowden's Florida State Seminoles.

Carroll preached "Win Forever" to USC players, alumni, and fans. No one, at least in USC circles, wanted forever to end. 

It does not have to end.

Pete Carroll has always flirted with the NFL. You knew that one day the flirting would win him over. Carroll has always been an "NFL Guy." He always stayed up on the league. Even when staying after past flirtations, he still always mentioned the component that would pull him from USC back to the NFL: a coaching job with personnel control.

Carroll was adamant his lack of success during his NFL coaching career was due to not being able to draft his own roster.

While wanting to "Win Forever" though, there has been a sense of complacency in Heritage Hall the past few years. 

The national championships were built on the backs of assistant coaches like Ed Orgeron and Norm Chow. When those assistants left, they were replaced by assistants who, while hard-workers and good recruiters, would not be willing to disagree with Pete Carroll. 

Chow and Orgeron had established college coaching resumes before Pete Carroll even interviewed with Mike Garrett. Guys like Steve Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin, and Ken Norton Jr. owe theirs to Carroll. Which of those guys was going to tell Pete Carroll he was wrong on something?

Maybe upset losses to Stanford, UCLA, and Oregon State do not happen if he was not surrounded by "yes men."

This is not to denigrate Pete Carroll. He deserves the credit for building the program, assembling the staff, and coordinating a defense that was second to none during most seasons. 

The problem when you are a "Type A personality", as ESPN Radio host Colin Cowherd said Carroll was, is that you want the credit to go with all of the work.

Look at Duke Basketball since Mike Krzyzewski has taken to only hiring his guys, former Blue Devil players, as his assistants. While still consistently a top 15 program, they continue to underachieve in the eyes of many.

The problem with being coached by a legend is how do you tell him to change? All he has to do is point at his record and ask, "What's yours?" Carroll can point at the 42 players drafted out of USC and ask, "How many do you have?"

By Carroll taking the Seahawks job, he can speak of his great record and thank the university. USC can thank Pete Carroll for bringing them back to championship caliber play and then go hire a new head coach with no hard feelings between the Carroll and USC.

Nothing like the Bowden situation, where the celebrated coach was forced out. No having to fire a living legend. 

A new head coach will inherit a marvelous collection of talent. He will need to surround himself with talented assistant coaches to make the most of it.

Maybe that includes Chow and Orgeron returning. 

Maybe it involves bringing other top young assistants to Los Angeles. Guys like a Major Applewhite at Texas. 

A new head coach won't have the resume that Pete Carroll has established. Maybe the new coach will surround himself with people who will give him solid advice and will one day have a record that comes close to matching Carroll's.

Hopefully the new coach will not have the pride to fail to admit when he was wrong.

Keep in mind Trojan fans, no one will duplicate what Pete Carroll has done in the past nine seasons at USC. Not Nick Saban, not Urban Meyer. Be thankful for the great run that you enjoyed.

But always remember what Pete Carroll did for USC. He proved USC can still win. 

Not all agreed on this on December 15, 2000. 

You can follow my random thoughts on the sports world on Twitter at @plh55