It was announced just yesterday that legendary USC Football coach, Pete Carroll, will be returning to USC, but in a slightly different role than Trojans fans are accustomed to. Carroll will be joining the campus staff to teach, not coach, at least not yet anyway.
During a media Zoom call on Thursday, current head coach Lincoln Riley was asked about Carroll being on campus and if he could end up with a role on the football team.
His response, very respectful and eloquent, should excite fans.
“I’m excited he’s going to be here more and would be crazy to not take advantage of having him around. So whether it’s in an official role or not, um, you know, he’s made it very clear that, we’ve got a good open line of communication.”
Lincoln Riley Excited By Prospect Of Pete Carroll Joining USC Football
Since Pete Carroll left SC for the Seattle Seahawks, his relationship with the football program has been pretty non-existent, so it would be exciting to see him involved in any capacity.
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Not many coaches have been able to accomplish what Carroll did during his tenure in SoCal, and while this is 100% Lincoln Riley’s team, the voice and brain of Pete Carroll could carry a lot of weight.
Whether it is in recruiting, day-to-day ops, player development, fundraising, or community relationship/engagement, Carroll being involved in any capacity would be a great thing.
College Football may be one of the most poetic sports out there. History and tradition mean something. The fact that Lincoln Riley is very open to the past and inviting it into the future is great for a program that is on the cusp of reclaiming its position among the elite.
First step? Having Pete Carroll lead the team out of the tunnel for a home game.
Here is the full quote of what Coach Riley had to say about Carroll:
He’s great. He has been great to me. We’ve had a chance to catch up pretty often, uh check in with each other. He’s been a great resource and uh, you know, a great person to be able to pick his brain and he’s been very good to me, so yeah, shoot.
I’m excited he’s going to be here more and would be crazy to not take advantage of having him around. So whether it’s in an official role or not, um, you know, he’s made it very clear that, you know, we’ve got a good open line of communication.
It’s one that I appreciate and respect very much and will always uh never hesitate to pick up the phone and call. I’m going to reach out to him because of obviously how successful he was as a coach and he’s obviously got a great knowledge of this place. So I’ve been appreciative of his help and his friendship and glad to have him around a lot more.
What could be?