2. Pete Carroll is an elite NFL head coach
After being fired by the New England Patriots in 1999, Carroll achieved great success at USC as he led them to two national championships in nine seasons before giving the NFL another try. He took the Seahawks job in 2010 and led them to a playoff win in his first season despite the Seahawks holding a 7-9 record. After the Seahawks finished with the same record and missed the playoffs in 2011, many people wondered whether Carroll was just a college coach who couldn’t hack it in the NFL. The Seahawks coach led his team back to the playoffs in 2012 though before they were eliminated in the Divisional Round by the Atlanta Falcons.
In his fourth season, the Seahawks won their first Super Bowl in franchise history. He put another stamp on his elite status as a head coach in the NFC Championship. Most teams would have been discouraged by a 16-0 deficit, but Carroll showed a killer instinct by calling a gutsy fake field goal attempt as punter Jon Ryan threw a touchdown pass. His “never say die” attitude clearly rubbed off on his players as well as they recovered an onside kick and carried their momentum to an incredible overtime victory. He will have the biggest coaching face-off of his career in Super Bowl 49 against Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
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