Photo by Braden VanDragt, The Spectator

Photo by Braden VanDragt, The Spectator

Does University of Southern California football have any coaching staff left?

After former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian left last year to coach the Huskies and brought defensive coordinator Nick Holt with him, head coach Pete Carroll was the last man standing in terms of the big coaching positions.

Count another steal from USC for the state of Washington. After a weekend of rampant speculation, Carroll announced Monday he would officially be taking on the role of head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, replacing Jim Mora after only a year.

It seems the recipe for failing Washington football teams is to nip talent from USC.

There is no question that it was time for a change in Seahawks leadership. The team just finished the 2009 season 5-11, an abysmal record for a team that was in the Super Bowl only three seasons ago. The Seahawks lost their last four games in a row by a combined score of 123-37. The players looked unmotivated, and it seemed Coach Jim Mora blamed everyone but himself for their losses. A lack of motivation, an aging roster and questionable play calling has plagued these Hawks for too long.

The decision to hire Carroll, however, has caused a fierce debate among Seahawks fans, some of whom are questioning Carroll’s ability to coach effectively in the NFL. Before his time at USC, Carroll coached both the New York Jets and the New England Patriots, where his overall record of 33-31 was better than the reputation he gained. His Patriots team slid pretty significantly in his three years as coach, and he was eventually fired. The issue some fans have is whether or not we will see college football legend Pete or NFL failure Pete when he comes to Seattle.

That’s a question we’ll have to wait at least a year to have answered.

After leaving the NFL, it could be argued that Carroll turned over a new leaf. His USC Trojans were a dominant force in college football for almost 10 years. He led them to seven straight Pac-10 titles, six BCS bowl victories, two national championship game appearances and two national championship titles. His record at USC was 97-19.

In addition to the statistics, Carroll brought excellent recruiting abilities to the school as well as a personality that inspired his players to work their hardest. Players felt connected to him: Mark Sanchez, one of Carroll’s recent star quarterbacks now playing for the Jets, still called him “coach” at a press conference last weekend. It’s clear Carroll cares about football, about his players and, most importantly, about winning.

Will his college coaching, recruiting and inspiring abilities transfer over to the NFL, where he’s dealing with 25-year-old millionaires? Only time will tell. One thing’s for sure: The players will respect him. This isn’t just any coach, it’s Pete Carroll.

Seahawks fans need to understand that despite his questionable NFL record, he has had years of success leading a team that has produced more NFL recruits than any other in the Pac-10. He’s won a few, lost a few and gotten right back up to win some more. He has the inspiration and enthusiasm the Seahawks need.

I’m just saying we should give Pete a chance.