Former USC Trojans head coach Pete Carroll had a ton of success with the program from 2001 to 2009. He won the national title in 2003 and 2004 but lost in 2005 to the Texas Longhorns.
Carroll also coached one of the best players of all-time in the sport in running back Reggie Bush. Quarterback Matt Leinart was also a very good player for Carroll. When he was the head coach of this football team, the Trojans had a lot of players who went to the NFL. USC has not been the same football program since Carroll left. Where does he rank amongst the top college football coaches over the last 25 years?
Former USC Trojans Head Coach Pete Carroll Ranked Third Amongst Top 25 College Coaches Over the Last 25 Years’=
Carroll had so much success with USC during his time with the program. Chris Vannini of the Athletic ranked his Top 25 college football coaches over the last 25 years. He had the former Trojans coach as the third best college coach over the last 25 years outside of Urban Meyer and Nick Saban. Vannini said of Carroll,
“Accomplishments: Two national championships, seven Pac-10 championships, seven top-five finishes in nine seasons, three Heisman winners, 34-game winning streak
Carroll was USC’s fourth choice for the job, then built the first real dynasty of the 2000s. The Trojans won a split national title in 2003, won the BCS title in 2004 and were one Vince Young fourth-down run away from the first three-peat since World War II. Carroll won at least nine games in every season but his first and left for the NFL before looming NCAA penalties arrived, though he wasn’t directly implicated. Like Tressel and Harbaugh, the timing of his departure means the resume is nothing but wins. Carroll lands ahead of Smart because he took over a USC program that hadn’t won 10 games in more than a decade, while Smart inherited one of the top programs in the SEC.”
Caroll also has won at the NFL level as well. He won a Super Bowl in 2013 with the Seattle Seahawks and also got back to the Super Bowl with them the next season. The former Trojans coach no doubt won at all levels. His final coaching stop is with the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL. USC has been trying to find its glory days in college football at the top ever since Carroll left the football program.
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