Is the Pete Carroll Deal Blowing Up?

by Mike Salk

Pete Carroll is going to be the next head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

Or is he?

Once considered to be a virtual certainty, it now seems to be at least somewhat in doubt.

Yes, Adam Schefter is reporting that the deal has been agreed to in principle, Tweeting on Saturday that “Carroll still is expected to be introduced as the Seahawks next head coach as early as Monday.”

That report was echoed by his colleague Chris Mortenson who also Tweeted “Pete Carroll will be able to pick his players. They’re picking a coach before a GM. Some checks & balances will be in place but it’ll work.” Multiple reports have the team meeting with Carroll to work out the details on Sunday.

So, why isn’t this a done deal?

Maybe for one of the same reasons Mike Holmgren isn’t here either. The twin trappings:

Money or power.

In this case, money doesn’t seem to be an issue as the team appears to be offering a five year deal worth $35 million. So, the logical conclusion is that the two sides have yet to reach an agreement on how much power would be concentrated with the head coach.

And Sports Illustrated’s senior writer Jim Trotter agrees.

“Carroll is meeting with Seahawks today,” he writes in a series of Tweets. “Informed sources say deal is NOT done. pete wants total control; seahawks legal counsel has informed carroll’s reps that owner paul allen is [against] giving total control to 1 person. someone will have to blink if a deal is to get done between caroll and seahawks…my gut feel is that carroll stays at usc because i don’t see seattle giving him the control he desires.”

Whoa. That information changes everything, right?

If you listened to the show on Friday, you know that I’m not the biggest Pete Carroll fan on the planet. I’ll admit that I’m biased because I was in New England when things went south for him there. But I also believe that this team needs the right head coach/GM combination to establish a clear identity. I don’t believe the Hollywood-style of Pete Carroll is the right way to accomplish that. And I think his struggles to lead men in the NFL is a problem that has yet to be overcome.

If this deal falls apart, who’s next?

Obviously, Vikings Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier would be a possibility after he interviewed for the job presumably to fulfill the Rooney Rule requirement. Many people claimed the interview was a sham, but that opinion should change if Trotter’s read on the situation is accurate. Frazier is also considered a leading candidate in Buffalo.

So, I present to you one more name: John Fox.

I’ve been pushing for Fox for a few weeks now as I still think he would be the best available choice to replace Jim Mora. And now it appears as if he may be available after being given the right to void the final year of his contract in Carolina.

Indeed, his name appears to be on the Seahawks’ radar. According to NFL.com’s Jason LaCanfora, “Everything points to Pete Carroll being HC in Seattle, but should he not sign a contract for that job, John Fox would be next target.”

Sometimes, the best moves are the ones that you don’t make. Here’s hoping that the team can’t come to a resolution with Carroll and that LaCanfora is right. Because I think this team would have a brighter future with John Fox than with Pete Carroll.