Raiders hiring Pete Carroll as next head coach: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Pete Carroll is turning back the clock and heading to Sin City.
The 73-year-old has reached an agreement with the Las Vegas Raiders to become the franchise’s next head coach, according to multiple reports. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that it is a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option.
Just in: Pete Carroll and the Raiders now have reached agreement on a three-year deal with a fourth-year team option, sources tell ESPN.
Another veteran legendary coach has returned. pic.twitter.com/Jc2J0EPo7N
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 24, 2025
Carroll, who will turn 74 years old in September, will become the oldest coach in NFL history. Romeo Crennel was the previous record-holder at 73 years and 199 days when he coached his last game for the Houston Texans in 2020.
This will be Carroll’s fourth NFL team as a head coach. He previously led the New York Jets (1994), New England Patriots (1997-99) and Seattle Seahawks (2010-2023) and also had a memorable collegiate stint at USC (2001-09).
After 14 seasons in charge with the Seahawks, Carroll and the team agreed to change his role from head coach to advisor last January. He was viewed as a coaching candidate for several openings this offseason, including the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears, but reportedly has decided to coach the Raiders.
Carroll has one Super Bowl title as a head coach from the 2013 season, and one of his new bosses helped prevent him from getting a second. Tom Brady, a Raiders minority owner, and the Patriots defeated Carroll’s Seahawks in the unforgettable Super Bowl XLIX, which culminated with Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception.
By choosing Brady’s Raiders, Carroll is joining some highly touted coaching company in the AFC West — including one of his former rivals.
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has a long history of coaching against Carroll. The two were Pac-10 rivals with Carroll coaching USC and Harbaugh coaching Stanford. They then took their rivalry to the NFC West with Carroll in Seattle and Harbaugh leading the San Francisco 49ers.
Now, Carroll and Harbaugh are in an AFC West with Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs and Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos. The four coaches have a combined nine Super Bowl appearances and five Super Bowl titles.
Carroll is the fifth head coach to be hired this offseason, joining Mike Vrabel (Patriots), Ben Johnson (Bears), Aaron Glenn (Jets) and Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars). Two jobs remain vacant: the Cowboys and New Orleans Saints.
The Raiders moved on from Antonio Pierce after he guided the team to a 4-13 record in 2024, his first full season as head coach after serving in the interim role in 2023. Carroll will step in as the franchise’s 13th head coach of the 21st century and fifth head coach since 2020.
Las Vegas has now checked off two big boxes for the offseason, as it will now pair Carroll with new general manager John Spytek. Brady, Spytek and Carroll will look to retool the Raiders’ roster in free agency and in the 2025 NFL Draft, where the team owns the No. 6 overall selection.