It has been an eventful offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders.
First, Mark Davis and his hiring committee, which includes legendary quarterback and minority owner Tom Brady, cleaned house by firing both head coach Antonio Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco after one season.
Then, the committee did their due diligence in the hiring process, but missed out on what many thought would be their top option in Lions' offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
So, the committee pivoted and hired their GM first, John Spytek, which drew praise from nearly everyone in league circles.
Then, on Friday morning, NFL Insiders confirmed the news that Raiders fans have been waiting for the last few weeks: the team has their next head coach.
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.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 24, 2025
Another veteran legendary coach has returned. pic.twitter.com/Jc2J0EPo7N
Pete Carroll was a legendary head coach for the Seattle Seahawks for 14 seasons, and has 18 years of NFL head coaching experience.
He has been to two Super Bowls, winning one, and only has four losing seasons to his name. His worst season came in his first season as a head coach where he only won six games, which is still a step up from Las Vegas last season.
Carroll also spent nine seasons at the University of Southern California, winning seven conference championships and four Rose Bowls.
Now, Carroll joins an AFC West division with a historic slate of coaches. Carroll will face off against Andy Reid, Sean Payton, and his old nemesis, Jim Harbaugh, twice a year. Carroll and Harbaugh had some storybook battles for years in the NFC West, and now they are set to fight again.
The AFC West will be a who's-who of former successful NFC coaches who have found new life in the AFC.
If Carroll can hire a set of impressive coordinators and figure out the quarterback position, do not be surprised if the Raiders are ready for a major playoff push in year one.
It's a new era in Las Vegas, and it's an exciting one.