Carroll: “Really fun” and “a little bit personal” to face Pats in Super Bowl
Jan 19, 2015, 11:10 AM | Updated: 3:26 pm
BY
Former Seattle Sports Lead Editor
Only three coaches in NFL history have done what Seattle’s Pete Carroll is about to do: face his former team in the Super Bowl.
Carroll coached the Patriots from 1997-99, and that connection is sure to be one of the leading storylines during the buildup to Super Bowl XLIX.
Carroll was asked about that on Monday when he joined “Brock and Salk” on 710 ESPN Seattle, and while he tried to deflect the attention off of himself, he acknowledged his personal history with the Patriots.
“It’s really fun. Who cares? But it’s really fun,” he said. “It’s a little bit personal because we were there and it’s a great place and I have great respect for what they have done, the family, what they have pulled off over the years. The Kraft family, they’ve done amazing things, historic things in the league and in the last 15 years or however long it’s been … They’ve been the best of the best and they’ve proven it. So we’re fortunate to get a chance to get to play a team like this and a club like this.”
According to the Elias Sports Bureau via ESPN Stats & Information, the other coaches who have faced their former team in the Super Bowl are Jon Gruden (XXXVII), Dan Reeves (XXXIII) and Weeb Ewbank (III).
