Pete Carroll fired: Why the Seahawks made a coaching change

SEATTLE — The Seahawks have made several big moves over the past nine seasons in an attempt to return to the top of the NFL after winning Super Bowl XLVIII and nearly repeating the following season. They have made blockbuster trades and free agent signings for large sums of money. They changed coordinators several times on both sides of the ball and overhauled their defense, both scheme-wise and personnel-wise. They even moved on from franchise quarterback Russell Wilson.

On Wednesday, they made the biggest move possible, announcing that Pete Carroll was stepping down as head coach after a 14-season tenure, the most successful run in franchise history. Here are five questions surrounding this decision and where the Seahawks are headed heading into the offseason.

Why did this happen now? Was this completely unexpected?

At Carroll's press conference after the announcement, he said, “I competed pretty hard to be the coach…I followed their intentions.” As of Monday, he said he planned to continue coaching the Seahawks, indicating that decision was made by owner Jody Allen. Allen's statement gave only vague reasoning, saying the move was in the best interest of the organization, but observers can see the Seahawks have settled into a rut of mediocrity.

Since winning the Super Bowl at the end of the 2013 season and nearly repeating as champions the following season, the Seahawks have made the playoffs six times, but have failed to advance past the division. Carroll said on his radio show earlier this week that the Seahawks are closer to winning a Super Bowl now than they were a year ago, when they also finished with a 9-8 record . But there was no obvious indication of this vision. Seattle's defense regressed and its offense underperformed. Over the past three seasons, the Seahawks are 25-27, including a wild card loss that ended their only playoff appearance during that stretch.

What does Carroll's future look like now?

Allen said in his statement that Carroll will remain with the team in an advisory role. Even at 72, Carroll looks as energetic as ever and he has shown no signs in recent seasons that his passion for coaching has diminished.

Carroll said he's not burned out or tired and wants to continue coaching — which leads to the question of whether he'd be interested in coaching another team if the right opportunity presented itself. On the other hand, Carroll may not want to start over with a new team in a new city at this point in his career.

When asked if he would consider another coaching job during his press conference, he replied: “Today is today.”

Carroll said he did not know what his new role would entail, but he would not assist general manager John Schneider in the search for his replacement.

Who could be in the running to be Seattle's next coach?

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will be among those on the Seahawks' list of candidates. Quinn has been a clear possibility in recent seasons, while questions about Carroll's future as coach have multiplied. He has a relationship with general manager John Schneider, having had two stints on the Seahawks coaching staff, including 2009-10 (defensive line coach) and 2013-14 (defensive coordinator). He was the coordinator during their two Super Bowl appearances, overseeing one of the most dominant units in NFL history.

The steady decline of Seattle's defense since then is the main reason the Seahawks are now looking for a new coach. They were 25th in yards allowed per play this season (5.5). Dallas' defense ranks ninth (5.0).

What is the first priority of whoever takes over as coach?

Whether or not to retain offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt will come first. Both of their professional statuses seem uncertain given how Seattle has underperformed on both sides of the ball this season.

The Seahawks' priority on defense was to improve against the run after finishing 30th in 2022 (150.2 rushing yards allowed per game), but they regressed after a strong start, finishing one place lower, 31st (138 ,4). Seattle's offense, meanwhile, ranked 18th in scoring (20.2 PPG) and 21st in yards (322.9 per game). And he once again struggled on third down, a long-standing problem for this team.

New coaches often prefer to use their own coordinators. And Hurtt and Waldron's recent disappointing results don't bode well for their chances of staying.

What does this mean for quarterback Geno Smith?

The next big decision will be with Smith. The Seahawks quarterback has had his ups and downs in 2023, and he has taken a step back statistically in several areas compared to his Pro Bowl season in 2022. However, Smith has also dealt with issues around him in terms of attack and injury. He finished 13th in the QBR (60).

Smith's base salary of $12.7 million for next season will be fully guaranteed if he is on the roster by Feb. 16, making it a likely deadline for Schneider and Seattle's next coach to decide on Smith's future. Drew Lock, the No. 2 quarterback, is a free agent and the team drafted 16th overall in April.