New Raiders head coach Pete Carroll addresses the elephant in the room right out of the gate in opening press conference
The Las Vegas have finally hired their head coach. Well, at least we hope so — it feels like we are saying this every other year, and maybe that's because we have said it every other year. But, despite saying this the last few years, too, this one does feel different. But, here's the deal: […]
The Las Vegas have finally hired their head coach. Well, at least we hope so — it feels like we are saying this every other year, and maybe that's because we have said it every other year. But, despite saying this the last few years, too, this one does feel different. But, here's the deal: It does.
Pete Carroll is now the head coach and Carroll has been there, done that. He's won a Super Bowl before with the Seattle Seahawks and won a National Championship with the USC Trojans. He has rebuilt programs and franchises from the ground up, so, in a way, this feels like a match made in heaven.
Carroll had a great first impression, too, as he kicked off his introductory press conference with plenty of energy. But, as soon as a question was asked about his age, the dreaded question that it is, things got real.
"First off, I'm not real proud of wearing this number 73 on my back, but that's not what fires me up," Carroll said. "But it isn't about accomplishing things to say you were worthy. It's what you're going to do next that counts. What's the next thing up? I laid low during this football season, and I'm teaching a class at USC that's been a thrill. I have not been one step away from what we're doing at any time and what we're up against here. I'm just so grateful that I've been given the opportunity to do this again and to find it because to me it's the very next step that we get to take that fires me up.
"The stuff that you guys have heard about Pete [Carroll] and having fun like you mentioned about throwing the ball around and all of that, yeah, that's part of it, but it's about the competing and proving that you have value and you have worth and you can add to it. I don't care how old you are. For anybody out there that's old and wants to know how you do it, you freaking battle every day, and you compete and you find your way to get better. Obviously, I'm freaking jacked up, so that shouldn't surprise you."
I get the age question. Fans expect there to be a head coach with the franchise for some time. They should expect that, seeing how they haven't had a consecutive head coach since Jack Del Rio, really. The Raiders need that, too, and if a guy is close to retirement, that doesn't really help them fix that issue they have.
But, Carroll is a young 73. His energy is contagious. This is the perfect fit, and in this case, Carroll's age is not anything to worry about.
