When the Las Vegas Raiders hired Pete Carroll as head coach, they knew exactly what they were signing up for.
Carroll has held down the fort for some of the best teams in the 21st century, including the USC Trojans and Seattle Seahawks. He established a culture of excellence at both locations, providing stability and experience that shined through in key moments.
However, while the Raiders want that for their own purposes, they are also realistic about what Carroll represents.
At 73 years old, Carroll will be the oldest coach in the NFL next season. Signing a three-year deal with a team option for a fourth, Carroll would be 77 years old by the time his contract reaches its end, and it would not be surprising to see him retire gracefully at that time.
Carroll is a short-term proposition, and the Raiders are fully aware of this fact. However, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer mentioned that this would not be the first time a team has attempted this in recent history.
“One example of having done that effectively is in Tampa. Where Bruce Arians had Todd Bowles and Byron Leftwich in his staff,” said Breer on an episode of his YouTube show The Breer Report.
“He had those two guys as guys that he said ‘Hey, look: I’m an older coach I’m not gonna be here forever, here are a couple guys who could eventually wind up replacing me.’ That did wind up happening. Todd Bowles has won consecutive division titles in the two years since Bruce Arians has left Tampa. So they hope they can set up the same sort of thing with Pete Carroll.”
Breer is referring to when Arians was the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2019-21. Interestingly enough, Raiders minority owner Tom Brady and general manager John Spytek were in the Buccaneers organization during that time, so they would have direct experience in knowing what a succession plan looks like and how to implement it.
If the Raiders are looking at a long-term successor for Carroll, perhaps defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is worth a look.
Assuming he remains in Las Vegas for that time, Graham would have full knowledge of Carroll’s philosophies by that time, as well as established his own as one of the longer-tenured coaches on the team. He would have no issue taking over as head coach of the Raiders should Carroll retire.
Carroll will provide some much-needed continuity in the short term, giving the Raiders some time to establish a clear framework for the future.
