Sometimes, despite all the practice and preparation _ despite all the players he's acquired or talent he's developed _ sometimes, the only way a football coach survives is if he makes the right adjustment.
Which brings us to Pete Carroll.
For most of this century, the world has marveled at the championship coach whose unique style breeds a unique culture. Whether he was competing for national titles at USC or Super Bowls in Seattle, Carroll consistently gave his players one of the most coveted gifts in team sports: freedom.
Guys could say what was on their minds. They could express themselves sans repercussion. Under Pete, individualism was a prerequisite for team success.
And for a while, it seemed like the longer the Seahawks' leashes were, the longer their season lasted. Then last year happened. It wasn't good.
You know the story with Richard Sherman by now. On two different occasions, the Pro Bowl cornerback went ballistic on a coach during a sideline rant. The second eruption _ which featured Sherman chastising Carroll for an offensive play call _ set off a circus-like chain of events involving non-apologies, denials and bizarre media exchanges.
For the Seahawks, his antics were a distraction at best and a legitimate hindrance at worst. And though Sherman bore the brunt of the blame from the outside, critics couldn't help but wonder if his behavior was a byproduct of the environment Carroll created.
That's why Pete's meeting with the media Wednesday was particularly interesting. In some ways, it seemed to signal a shift in how he planned to deal with disruptive players going forward. Just look at how he answered a question about the possibility of trading Sherman.
"You're either competing or you're not," Carroll said. "And so we've always had to be open for everything, every suggestion that comes along. "
Pete might as well have been standing next to Richard with a loudspeaker when he said that. He could have brushed the trade rumors off as ridiculous, but legitimized them instead.
He went on to say that much of the negativity Sherman endured last season was "self-inflicted," and while he emphasized how important his star DB was to the team, he implied that he wasn't essential.
Could you have imagined that response a few months ago? Remember, Carroll chose not to discipline Sherman in any meaningful fashion last year. He even went out of his way to defend Richard after the season, bringing up a previously undisclosed knee injury that almost cost the Hawks a draft pick.
But do Wednesday's statements suggest we might see a different Pete Carroll next season? Is it possible he adds tough love to his arsenal of coaching techniques? Will players have to earn freedom as opposed to expecting it?
In some ways, these past couple seasons have been uncharted territory for a guy who landed his first head coaching job in 1994. Before now, Carroll has never had to really coach anybody for longer than four years.
He lasted just one season with the Jets and three with the Patriots _ and would lose players to graduation at USC.
But now, he's dealing with players that will have been in Seattle for five, six, or seven years. And many of them have gone from hungry up-and-comers to eight-figure-earning superstars.
A coaching style players embraced when they first arrived is one they might take advantage of now. It's up to Carroll to make sure that doesn't happen.
Two days after the Falcons eliminated Seattle from the playoffs, Pete was asked if he took responsibility for the Seahawks being more volatile than usual.
"I do," Carroll said. "This is a game that calls for guys to play at the edge. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but I think it's a mistake when we go too far."
And it's also a mistake when Carroll allows too much.
Look, it's hard for anyone to change dramatically _ particularly a 65-year-old who's been coaching since 1973. But if Carroll is to capitalize on the Seahawks' Super Bowl window, he may have to alter his approach and become more of a disciplinarian. Wednesday's quotes about Sherman indicate he may be headed that way, but until the season begins, we won't know.
It's a fine line for Carroll to walk. No one will dispute that.
But the bottom line is this: If he wants to get more out of his team, he has to put up with less from his players.
