Pete Carroll was named the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, with the team hoping his leadership will bring much-needed stability, despite him being the oldest head coach in the NFL at 73.
The Raiders and Carroll reached an agreement on a three-year contract, which includes a one-year team option, on Friday, according to a source familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity, as the contract hadn’t been finalized at the time. The team did not disclose the specifics of the deal.
Before making the official announcement, the Raiders shared a photo on X showing chewing gum with their indoor practice facility in the background, a nod to Carroll’s habit of chewing gum during games.
Carroll takes over from Antonio Pierce, who was fired after a 4-13 record in his first full season as head coach. Pierce had a 5-4 record as interim coach in 2023 after replacing Josh McDaniels.
The Raiders are hopeful that Pete Carroll can replicate his success from Seattle, where he guided the Seahawks to two Super Bowl appearances. They won the championship in the 2013 season and came close to repeating the following year, falling just one interception short of a second title.
Pete Carroll had a successful 14-season tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, posting a record of 137-89-1.
He now becomes the 14th head coach for the Raiders since Jon Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay in 2002, and the fifth coach, including interim ones, since the team moved to Las Vegas in 2020.
Carroll’s NFL head-coaching career began with the New York Jets in 1994, where he finished with a 6-10 record. He then went 27-21 during three seasons with the New England Patriots from 1997 to 1999. After a nine-year stint coaching at Southern California, where he led the Trojans to a national championship in 2004 and an AP national title in 2003, he took over the Seahawks in 2010.
Overall, Carroll holds a 170-120-1 record as an NFL head coach. With this new role, he will become the third coach in NFL history to lead four different teams, joining Bill Parcells and Marty Schottenheimer.