Conference rdvax::new_england_patriots

264.0. "Pete Carroll" by MSE1::PCOTE (Rebuilt NT: 163, Rebuilt VMS:1) Mon Feb 03 1997 15:48

  from the NFL home page ...
                                                                          

     Patriots turn over coaching chores to Carroll

               NFL coaching changes 

FOXBORO, Mass.   --  The  New  England  Patriots, moving quickly in an
effort  to put the Bill Parcells saga behind them, named San Francisco
49ers  defensive  coordinator  Pete  Carroll  as  their new head coach
Monday. 

Carroll replaces  Parcells,  who stepped down Friday after leading the
Patriots  to  their  first  Super Bowl appearance in 11 years, a 35-21
loss to the Green Bay Packers. 

Carroll agreed to a five-year contract at undisclosed terms. 

"To have  the  opportunity  to  become head coach of a team which just
competed in the Super Bowl is exciting, and I couldn't be more pleased
than I am about joining the Patriots," Carroll said.  "We have to win.
The  expectations  are we are going for the whole thing.  We're trying
to win the division.  We're trying to win the Super Bowl." 

Carroll, 45,  has  spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator
of  the  49ers and gets his second chance to be an NFL head coach.  He
was  coach  of the New York Jets in 1994 and was fired after posting a
6-10 record.  Jets owner Leon Hess, who had been patient with previous
head  coaches,  elected  to  fire  Carroll  after  just one season and
replaced him with Rich Kotite. 

"I think  we  have  found  a  man  that  wants  to  make  a  long-term
committment,"  said  team  owner  Bob  Kraft  in  an apparent swipe at
Parcells' resignation.  "I said last week that our new coach has to be
someone who is energetic, hungry to win and a student of the game, and
Pete fulfills each of those requirements." 

Carroll was  passed over for the top job in San Francisco, where Steve
Mariucci  was  hired away from the University of California to replace
George Seifert. 

"They decided  they  wanted  to  hire an offensive guy," said Carroll.
"The  reason they wanted to do that was in the process of after losing
Mike  Holmgren  and Mike Shanahan, they wanted to secure the offensive
coordinator  position  with  the  head coach.  I understand what their
thinking was, I had no problem with it at all." 

Carroll also  was  a  candidate for the head coaching vacancies in St.
Louis and Detroit.  The St.  Louis job eventually went to Dick Vermeil
and the Lions hired Bobby Ross as their head coach. 

The Patriots  made efforts to hire Seifert before settling on Carroll.
Patriots  assistant  head coach Bill Belichick also was mentioned as a
candidate to replace Parcells. 

"In any  business  I'm  involved  in,  I  try  to  get the best people
availavble," said Kraft.  "So I did contact George Seifert first.  But
after  talking with him, I got the impression that he was committed to
sitting out a year, and not coaching this season. 

"But he  did  give  a  great  recommendation  on  Pete Carroll.  So we
contacted Pete, and as it worked out, I think we're lucky to get Pete.
And  he  happens  to  be  the  best  man for this job at this point of
evolution of our team." 

Carroll did not take offense to being the owner's second choice. 

"Does it bother me that I was second choice? No," said Carroll.  "If I
were Bob, I would have talked to Seifert too." 

Parcells has  feuded  with  Kraft  and informed the Patriots last week
that  he  does not plan to coach in 1997.  Parcells' announcement came
two  days  after  NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue ruled against him in
the  dispute  between  the  coach  and  Kraft.   Tagliabue  ruled that
Parcells  was  contractually bound to the Patriots for the 1997 season
and cannot coach another NFL team in 1997 without Kraft's consent. 

The Jets  and  Patriots  have been negotiating a deal that would allow
Parcells  to  come  back  to New York.  Various reports claim the Jets
plan  to  interview  Belichick  in  the  event  that  negotiations for
Parcells fall through. 

Parcells left  the Patriots in part because he wanted complete control
of  football  operations, a situation he once had in New England until
Kraft  turned  over draft duties to director of player personnel Bobby
Grier. 

Carroll said  he  has  no  problem  with  the  Patriots' structure and
politely  poked  fun  at Parcells' claim that "if you're going to cook
the meal, they ought to let you shop for the groceries." 

"All I  know  about  grocery shopping is when I go with my wife I push
the  cart,"  Carroll  said.   "We have to be on the same page and talk
with a unified voice." 

Prior to  being  named  the  Jets'  head  coach, Carroll served as the
team's  defensive  coordinator  from  1990  to  1993.  His 13-year NFL
coaching  career includes five seasons as defensive backs coach of the
Minnesota Vikings. 

Carroll coached 10 years on the collegiate level at Pacific, Arkansas,
Iowa, Ohio State and North Carolina State. 

    
    
    Personally, I like Pete Carroll.  There have been some negative
    things about Carroll being discussed recently but I think he'll
    fit in nicely.  With a little luck he'll be able to lure Aaron 
    Glenn away from the Jets and maybe even steal a couple of the 
    49ers defensive players.
    
    From what I understand, he is one of the premier defensive minds
    in the game, so I expect the defense to improve.  Everywhere he
    has coached, the defenses have been excellent, including his one
    year as head coach of the Jets.  The Pats defense isn't far away
    from being a top unit.  It'll be interesting to see what happens
    as the free agent signing period begins, a CB and an interior
    defensive lineman who can pressure the QB would be the most obvious
    needs.
    
    Let's hope the NE fans give Carroll a chance.
    
    	CF

    >>    Let's hope the NE fans give Carroll a chance.
    
    I'm sure the NE fans will be much more willing than the 
    local NE media to give him a chance.
    Based on past history with the media in this neck of the woods,
    The media will probably descend like vultures on Carroll once
    the 97 pre-season starts, and won't let up until late December,
    and in the process will proceed to compare him to Parcells at
    every presentable opportunity.
    
     2
    b

    
    Actually I think the opposite is true. The media already loves Carroll
    because he is more patient with putting up with "media crap" than Parcells
    is able to tolerate. 
    
    But if the Pats have a bad year, which may just happen considering the
    massive changes, look for the media to jump on him. Personally I think
    it might take 2-3 years before the Pats get back to the big one.
    
    				Sean
     

    
    Quote from Jimmy Johnson:
    
    "Put it this way," Johnson says, "I feel as good about our team in our
    division as anybody else. New England had an outstanding year, and at
    this stage they have to be the team to beat because they went to the
    Super Bowl. But with the transition to a new coaching staff, I don't
    see them improving. The Jets will be better. Bill Parcells will add
    discipline and work ethic that they needed. I think Indianapolis will
    be solid again. Buffalo's got to find a quarterback.
    

>    Super Bowl. But with the transition to a new coaching staff, I don't
>    see them improving. The Jets will be better. Bill Parcells will add

     As much as I can't stand JJ, I do agree with this statement.
     Besides, it would be very difficult to improve on a 11-5 season
     and a 2-1 post season. Given the Pat's VERY tough schedule, I'd
     be thrilled with a 10-6 season.