New Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is a busy man this offseason.
On top of his duties as head coach, Carroll has been teaching a seminar known as “The Game is Life” to 56 students at USC. Carroll has been a major part of the fabric of USC’s football program, carrying it to national prominence in the 2000s with a 97-19 record from 2001-09. With the Raiders beginning their offseason workout program, however, Carroll would have to split time between finishing the semester with his students and getting his new team prepared for the season ahead.
All of that being said, Carroll made his stance on his class perfectly clear.
Carroll will continue teaching his class alongside his duties as head coach.
In an interview with Sam Farmer and Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, Carroll has no intention of stepping away from his class, which has three weekly sessions remaining for the semester.
“I said I was going to be here for them and see it through,” Carroll said. “I was committed and stayed committed. I didn’t let anything get in the way of that.”
From the article, it is clear what kind of energy Carroll will bring to the Raiders simply from reading what goes on in his class.
Carroll’s mantras of “Always Compete” and “Win Forever” are prevalent throughout the course, discussing with his students how those philosophies can shape their professional and personal lives. Being the rare college class that bans laptops, students have shown clear investment in Carroll and his teachings. All the while, the 73-year-old head coach approaches the subject with the same youthful enthusiasm that fans have come to expect from him over the years.
“What this class has shown me is that you can come from any unique background and still approach it like you’re practicing every single day,” said USC graduate student and former beach volleyball player Audrey Nourse. “You’re repping out what you’re doing every single day. You’re creating the right daily habits to be successful. You’re playing for something bigger than yourself.”
Carroll’s devotion to his students is admirable, and the hope is the lessons in the classroom carry over to the Raiders for this season.
