Pete Carroll's Honorary USC Degree Is Excellent Tribute from School

USC decided to honor former head coach Pete Carroll with an honorary degree from the school. It's a well-earned honor for Carroll, who led the Trojans to one of their most successful periods in school history.

The school announced the news on its official Twitter account:

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports has more:

He will also be inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame, according to The Associated Press via ESPN.

Carroll certainly had plenty of success during his tenure at USC from 2001-09. Along with winning a national championship and two Associated Press titles, he finished his college coaching career with a 97-19 record (though due to NCAA sanctions, his record technically is 83-19), a 7-2 bowl record and seven Pac-12 titles, three of which were co-championships. 

Carroll has since gone on to the Seattle Seahawks, where he's won a Super Bowl and taken the team to the last two, but his legacy really began during his time with the Trojans. While the school has struggled to reach the heights Carroll led it to in the years since his departure, his period of dominance will long live on in the school's history.

He had three Heisman Trophy winners (Carson Palmer in 2002, Matt Leinart in 2004 and Reggie Bush in 2005, though Bush's Heisman has been vacated due to NCAA violations). He changed the culture at the school, bringing a fun, upbeat vibe to practices that often included celebrities such as Snoop Dogg and Will Ferrell dropping by, among others. At a time when Los Angeles was without a professional football team, he made USC games the hottest ticket in town.

REED SAXON/Associated Press

Carroll isn't just being honored for his time as a coach but also for the good he did in the community. That shouldn't be overlooked. But ultimately, Carroll will be remembered as a football coach—one who made USC a national power and restored its place as an iconic football institution. 

The school's recognition of his relevance and impact during his time at USC is well-deserved.