The coronavirus pandemic led to a virtual draft and offseason, but July is normally a quiet month around the NFL. With players on break ahead of training camps later this summer, it’s time to have some fun with opinions and lists.
Sean Wagner-McGough of CBS Sports recently took a look at all the head coaches around the league to put together his top 10. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll lands at No. 8 to start the season.
“If this list was based on wins and losses alone, Pete Carroll would rank closer to the top,” Wagner-McGough writes. “In his 10 seasons as the Seahawks’ coach, he’s posted a 100-59-1 record (62.8 percent). He’s taken them to two Super Bowls, one of which they won. He’s missed the playoffs only twice. Since he got Russell Wilson, he’s missed the postseason once. With Wilson, Carroll’s Seahawks have never finished worse than 9-7. Carroll was always a lock to make this list. If coaches are judged on wins and losses (spoiler alert: they are) then Carroll is one of the best coaches in football.”
“So then, why is Carroll ranked this low, behind coaches who have accomplished far less than him?” Wagner-McGough continues. “There’s no easy answer to this question, but it’s important to remember that this list is looking forward. It’s not just based on past success. And over the past few seasons, Carroll and the rest of his coaching staff have demonstrated a reluctance to evolve to the changing game. It’s his stubbornness to establishing the run that sticks out, which often requires Wilson to bail the offense out of difficult third-down situations. As analytics have become a weapon that smart teams – like the Ravens – wield to exploit their opponents, the Seahawks have lagged behind.”
There is still hope for Carroll to once again crack the top-5, starting this season . . . if there is one, that is.
