Name	Pete Carroll
Height
Naionality	American
Date of Birth	September 15, 1951
Place of Birth	San Francisco, California
Famous for

Energetic and charismatic ninth-year USC head football coach Pete Carroll quickly restored the glory of the Trojan football program and has returned Troy to national prominence.

He is 88-15 (85.4%) in 8 years (2001-2008) as a college head coach (all at USC), the best winning percentage of any current Division I coach with at least 5 years of experience. He reached 50 career USC wins faster than any head coach in Trojan history. His losses have been by a total of 65 points (4.3 average) and only 1 was by more than a touchdown (it was by 11 points). After starting off his Trojan career 2-5, he has gone 86-10 (89.5%) with a pair of national championships (2003-04). He is 57-10 in Pac-10 games, giving him an 85% winning mark (a league record). He is 27-0 in November. He has 32 victories over AP Top 25 teams (32-7 overall, 82.1%). His teams have won an unprecedented 7 consecutive Pac-10 titles, had 7 straight AP Top-4 finishes and appeared in a record 7 consecutive BCS bowls (including a pair of BCS Championship Games). USC's 13 (2004), 25 (2003-04 and 2004-05), 37 (2003-05), 48 (2002-05 and 2003-06), 59 (2002-06 and 2003-07) and 71 (2002-08) wins represent the winningest periods in Trojan history. Troy's 11 wins in each of the past 7 seasons is a school and national record.

Under Carroll, USC is riding winning streaks in 27 November games, 13 non-conference home games and 9 non-conference road games (not including 6 neutral site contests). His USC teams also had a number of since-broken other winning streaks: a Pac-10-record 35 consecutive home games, a Pac-10-record 34 overall games, a Pac-10-record 27 conference games, a school-record 18 road games (not including 4 neutral site contests), 18 October games, 16 non-conference games, 16 games against AP Top 25 teams and a school-record 13 Pac-10 road games. His Trojans also set a no-longer-active NCAA record by scoring at least 20 points in 63 consecutive games. USC was AP's No. 1 team for a national-record 33 straight polls (including 2 pre-season polls). He has gone 14-2 against traditional rivals Notre Dame and UCLA.

Also under Carroll, USC is the first school to have 3 Heisman Trophy winners in a 4-year span. Carroll has produced 33 All-American first teamers and 53 NFL draft picks (including 14 first rounders, with a No. 1 selection in Carson Palmer and a No. 2 in Reggie Bush). His last 7 recruiting classes have been ranked in the Top 5 nationally (including first each year by some experts). He also served as USC's defensive coordinator in his first 5 seasons at Troy.

USC posted an 12-1 record in 2008 and for a record seventh consecutive year won a Pac-10 title (going 8-1), advanced to a BCS bowl (a fourth consecutive Rose Bowl) and won 12 games. Troy beat Penn State, 38-24, to become the first team to win 3 straight Rose Bowls. In the polls, the Trojans finished ranked second by USA Today and third by AP. Included was a sweep over rivals Notre Dame (the seventh in a row) and UCLA. USC ranked in the Top 20 in almost every national offensive and defensive statistical category, including first in scoring defense (at 9.8, its finest in 41 years), pass defense (at 134.4, its best in 31 years) and pass efficiency defense and second in total defense (at 221.8, its best in 41 years). USC has surrendered just 14 touchdowns in 2008. Linebackers Rey Maualuga (the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and USC's first-ever Bednarik Award winner) and Brian Cushing and safety Taylor Mays were named All-American first teamers. Carroll was among 9 finalists for the 2008 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. In the 2008 pre-season, he was picked as the nation's top head coach by CBSSports.com.

In an injury-riddled 2007 season, USC went 11-2 and finished second in the USA Today poll and third in the AP poll (it held the AP No. 1 ranking for the season's first 4 games) for its sixth AP Top 4 ranking in a row, was 7-2 in the Pac-10 to share an unprecedented sixth consecutive league crown and advanced to a third straight Rose Bowl (and record sixth BCS bowl in a row), its fourth trip to Pasadena in 5 years (its 49-17 win over Illinois equaled the most points ever in a Rose Bowl). Troy swept traditional rivals UCLA (giving Carroll his 75th Trojan victory) and, for the sixth straight year, Notre Dame. USC's defense was in the top 6 nationally in total, scoring, rushing and pass efficiency defense (second in the first 2). Troy broke the school record for overall attendance and overall average attendance in 2007.

Five Trojans-offensive tackle Sam Baker, defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, tight end Fred Davis, linebacker Keith Rivers and safety Taylor Mays-were named All-American first teamers (Baker became USC's third-ever 3-time All-American, while Ellis was an All-American for the second year in a row and was named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and Davis won the 2007 Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end).

In 2006 in what was considered a rebuilding year after losing a pair of Heisman winners and 11 NFL draftees from 2005, USC went 11-2, finished No. 4 in the final polls and shared the Pac-10 title at 7-2 to capture an unprecedented fifth straight league crown. Troy did this despite starting just 4 seniors, playing 15 first-year freshmen and facing what was the nation's second toughest schedule according to the Sagarin rating (USC played 9 bowl teams). The Trojans beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl and came within a regular season-ending 4-point loss at UCLA to advancing to a third consecutive BCS Championship Game. USC was ranked in the AP Top 10 all season and beat rival Notre Dame for the fifth year in a row. The Trojans were in the national Top 25 statistically in scoring, total and passing offense, as well as rushing, pass efficiency, total and scoring defense. USC broke its Pac-10 record home average attendance record for the fourth consecutive year and its Pac-10 record home total attendance record for the second straight season, plus it set the school record for the third straight year for home sellouts (6), regular season sellouts (10) and season sellouts (11). Five Trojans-wide receivers Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, offensive tackle Sam Baker, center Ryan Kalil and defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis-were All-American first teamers (Jarrett and Baker for the second year in a row). Carroll was named the 2006 Pac-10 Coach of the Year (for the third time) and was 1 of 15 semifinalists for the 2006 George Munger Coach of the Year Award.

In 2005, his Trojans held AP's No. 1 ranking for the entire regular season. USC went 12-1 overall (while facing 6 AP Top 25 teams) to advance to the BCS Championship Game in the Rose Bowl, where it barely fell to Texas, and 8-0 in the Pac-10 to win its fourth straight league title. The Trojans, who finished second in both polls, played the nation's ninth most difficult schedule according to the NCAA. USC swept rivals Notre Dame and UCLA for an unprecedented fourth season in a row. Troy's offense was in the national Top 6 in every offensive category, including tops in total offense (579.8) and second in scoring offense (49.1), and set Pac-10 records for total offense yardage, points scored, touchdowns and PATs. The Trojans won games by an average of 26.2 points. USC became the first school to have a 3,000-yard passer, a pair of 1,000-yard runners and a 1,000-yard receiver in a season. And USC was second nationally in turnover margin (+1.6). For the third consecutive year, USC set Pac-10 records for total home attendance and home attendance average and school marks for overall attendance and overall attendance average. The Trojans also set school standards for the second straight year for home sellouts (4), regular season sellouts (9) and season sellouts (10). For the second consecutive year, a school-record 6 Trojans were All-American first teamers, including Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Reggie Bush. Carroll was the 2005 Playboy Pre-Season All-American team Coach of the Year and was named by The Sporting News as the top coach in the nation. He received the United States Sports Academy Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award. He was the 2005 Pac-10 Co-Coach of the Year, as well as the American Football Coaches Association Division I-A Region 5 Coach of the Year. He was 1 of 5 finalists for the 2005 Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award, 1 of 6 finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and 1 of 12 semifinalists for the George Munger Coach of the Year Award.

In 2004, he guided No. 1-ranked USC to its second consecutive national championship with a convincing win over Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game in the Orange Bowl. USC became only the second team ever to hold its AP pre-season No. 1 ranking all the way through a season. It was only the 10th time that a team won back-to-back AP crowns. His team was 13-0 (a school record for wins) and went 8-0 in the Pac-10. He also led the Trojans to their third consecutive Pac-10 title and their third straight season sweep of traditional rivals UCLA and Notre Dame (a first at Troy). Troy was in the national Top 10 in every defensive statistical category (its total defense average was USC's lowest in 15 years), including first in rushing defense (for the second year in a row) and turnover margin and third in scoring defense. USC outscored opponents by 25.2 points (including a school-record 8 games with a margin of at least 30 points). USC played before 3 home sellouts, 7 regular-season sellouts and 8 season sellouts, all school marks. And Troy set a USC and Pac-10 record for home attendance average, as well as school records for total home attendance, overall attendance average and total overall attendance. A school-record 6 Trojans (Heisman Trophy quarterback Matt Leinart, tailback Reggie Bush, defensive linemen Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson, and linebackers Matt Grootegoed and Lofa Tatupu) were named All-American first teamers. Carroll was the 2004 National Quarterback Club College Coach of the Year and a finalist for the 2004 Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award, the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and the ESPY Best Coach of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the George Munger Coach of the Year Award. He was the 2004 ESPN.com Pac-10 Coach of the Year.

The 2003 season-his third at Troy-was one of the best in USC history. The Trojans won the AP national championship (USC's first national crown since 1978) and entered the Rose Bowl also ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/ESPN poll but weren't allowed to keep the top spot after winning that bowl because of a contractual agreement which required the coaches to vote the Sugar Bowl winner as their poll's champion (USC ended up second). USC was 12-1 overall (the only loss was by 3 points at California in triple overtime) and, at 7-1 in the Pac-10. Troy won its second consecutive league title for the first time since 1988-89 (and its first outright crown since 1989). His Trojans won their last 9 games and posted back-to-back seasons of double digit wins for the first time since 1978 and 1979. For just the second time in history (the other time also was 1978 and 1979), USC swept traditional rivals UCLA and Notre Dame in consecutive years. His 2003 squad featured a potent offense, a stingy defense and productive special teams. USC had a stretch of 11 consecutive 30-point games (also a school mark) and 7 straight 40-point contests (a Pac-10 record). USC's 534 points was a Pac-10 record. The defense led the nation in rushing defense and was second in turnover margin, forced 42 turnovers and scored 8 touchdowns. And the Trojans topped the nation in net punting. Five Trojans-wide receiver Mike Williams, offensive tackle Jacob Rogers, defensive end Kenechi Udeze, punter Tom Malone and quarterback Matt Leinart-were first team All-Americans (Leinart and Williams finished sixth and eighth, respectively, in the Heisman Trophy voting).

For all this, Carroll was named the 2003 American Football Coaches Association Division I-A Coach of the Year, Home Depot National Coach of the Year, Maxwell Club College Coach of the Year, ESPN.com National Coach of the Year, Pigskin Club of Washington D.C. Coach of the Year and All-American Football Foundation Frank Leahy Co-Coach of the Year. He also was the Pac-10 Co-Coach of the Year (USC's first honoree since Larry Smith in 1988), a finalist for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year, 1 of 6 semifinalists for the Eddie Robinson/Football Writers Association of America Coach of the Year and American Football Coaches Association Division I-A Region 5 Coach of the Year. In early 2004, he received the Chuck Benedict Founders Award (for special achievement) from the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association, the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation Sportsman of the Year Award, the Spirit of Los Angeles Award from the Los Angeles Headquarters Association and the Vincent T. Lombardi Hall of Fame Award from the Boy Scouts of America San Gabriel Valley Council.

In 2002, just his second season at USC, his Trojans thrived despite playing what was ranked by the NCAA, Sagarin and the BCS as the nation's most difficult schedule (facing 9 AP-ranked teams and 11 bowl squads). USC-which beat Iowa in the Orange Bowl-posted an 11-2 overall record and a No. 4 ranking in the final polls, and won the Pac-10 championship while going 7-1. The Trojans also won their last 9 home games. It was USC's first 11-win season since 1979 and its highest ranking since 1988. Troy won its final 8 games (scoring at least 30 points in each), including blowouts of traditional rivals UCLA and Notre Dame (the first time USC beat both in the same season since 1981 and the first time in back-to-back games since 1978). USC led the Pac-10 in total offense (449.3) and total defense (284.9), as well as scoring offense (35.8) and scoring defense (18.5), and was in the NCAA's Top 25 in nearly every team statistical category on both sides of the ball. Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Carson Palmer and safety Troy Polamalu were first team All-Americans. Carroll was 1 of 8 finalists for the 2002 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award and was 1 of 4 runners-up for the 2002 American Football Monthly Schutt Sports Division I-A Coach of the Year Award.

Carroll brought big doses of experience, enthusiasm and leadership in his quest to revive the USC football program when he was named the Trojans' head football coach on Dec. 15, 2000 (he signed a 5-year contract). After USC started off his opening 2001 season slowly at 1-4, Carroll stayed the course and got his troops to rally by winning 5 of their last 7 games (including the final 4 regular season contests) to finish at 6-6 overall. USC, which won its last 5 Pac-10 games after beginning league play at 0-3, placed fifth in the conference at 5-3 and earned a berth into the Sega Sports Las Vegas Bowl. Putting an exclamation point on the regular season was a 27-0 blanking of No. 20 UCLA, USC's first shutout in the crosstown rivalry since 1947 and the series' biggest margin of victory since 1979.

The 57-year-old Carroll has 34 years of NFL and college experience, including 15 on the college level.

He was the head coach of the NFL's New England Patriots for 3 seasons (1997-99) and New York Jets for 1 year (1994). He guided the Patriots into the playoffs in his first 2 seasons, winning the AFC Eastern Division title at 10-6 in 1997 and advancing to the second round of the playoffs, then posting a 9-7 regular season mark in 1998. His overall record in New England was 27-21 in the regular season (including 8-8 in 1999) and 1-2 in the playoffs. He owns the franchise's second-best winning percentage (54.9%).

After serving as the Jets' defensive coordinator for 4 seasons (1990-93), he became the team's head coach the following season. His 1994 Jets went 6-10. Only 3 other Jets head coaches won more games in their rookie campaign.

He spent the next 2 years (1995-96) as the defensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, who won the NFC Western Division title both seasons. The 49ers were 11-5 in the 1995 regular season when they had the NFL's top-ranked defense and then went 12-4 in 1996.

Carroll began his coaching career at the college level, serving as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Pacific, for 3 years (1974-76), working with the wide receivers and secondary. He then spent a season as a graduate assistant working with the secondary at Arkansas (1977) under Lou Holtz as the Razorbacks won the 1978 Orange Bowl, and then a season each as an assistant in charge of the secondary at Iowa State (1978) under Earle Bruce (the Cyclones played in the 1978 Hall of Fame Bowl) and at Ohio State (1979) under Bruce. That Buckeye squad lost to USC in the 1980 Rose Bowl. He next spent 3 seasons (1980-82) as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at North Carolina State, then returned to Pacific in 1983 as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator.

He entered the NFL in 1984 as the defensive backs coach of the Buffalo Bills, then held a similar position with the Minnesota Vikings for 5 seasons (1985-89). The Vikings advanced to the playoffs his last 3 years there, getting to the NFC Championship game in 1987. The 1988 team was 11-5 in the regular season and the 1989 squad won the NFC Central Division crown with a 10-6 mark. His secondary averaged 25 interceptions a season and led the NFL in passing defense in 1989.

Carroll spent the 2000 season as a consultant for pro and college teams, doing charitable work for the NFL and writing a column about pro football for CNNSI.com.

Carroll was a 2-time (1971-72) All-Pacific Coast Conference free safety at Pacific and earned his bachelor's degree in 1973 in business administration. He received his secondary teaching credential and a master's degree in physical education from Pacific in 1976. He was inducted into the Pacific Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.

After he graduated from Pacific, he spent a year trying out for the World Football League and selling roofing materials in the Bay Area.

He was a 3-sport (football, basketball and baseball) standout at Redwood High in Larkspur, Calif., earning the school's Athlete of the Year award as a senior. He played quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back. He then played football at Marin Junior College in Kentfield, Calif., in 1970 (he also was on the team in 1969, but did not letter).

He was born on Sept. 15, 1951 in San Francisco. He and his wife, Glena, who played volleyball at Pacific, have 3 children: sons Brennan, 30, who played tight end at Pittsburgh (he previously played at Delaware) and is now an assistant at USC, and Nate, 21, a junior at USC, and daughter Jaime, 26, who played on the Women of Troy's highly-ranked volleyball team which competed in the 2000 NCAA Final Four.

In 2003, he helped develop "A Better L.A.," a non-profit group consisting of a consortium of local agencies and organizations working to reduce gang violence by empowering change in individuals and communities. He received the Courageous Leadership Award from Women Against Gun Violence in 2005, as well as being named a Cedars-Sinai Sports Spectacular Honoree.