Two weeks into the 2025 NFL season, fans of the Las Vegas Raiders have seen both positives and negatives from the new regime. Possibly the most significant change for the Silver and Black during the offseason was the hiring of new head coach Pete Carroll.
Carroll joins a long list of Raiders’ head coaches in the past decade, though he brings a more polished pedigree to the tumultuous position. Carroll’s resume demonstrates his ability to bring winning methods to every team he leads. After winning two national championships at USC, Carroll moved up to the NFL, commanding the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory as well. Despite his advanced age of 74, Carroll continues to infuse every team gathering with energy, confidence, and mentorship, from practice to gameday.
This culture differs heavily from the culture coaches have brought to the Raider locker room in recent memory. With Carroll at the helm, the future seems to be a bit brighter for Raiders fans than it has before.
Winning follows Pete Carroll everywhere…
While starting as a collegiate assistant, Carroll became an NFL coach fairly quickly. Starting as a defensive backs coach, it wouldn’t be long until he’d become a head coach. After a rough stint as the New York Jets head coach, Carroll would eventually take the same title at USC. Carroll would go on to win two national championships with the Trojans amid some controversy. After leaving his post at USC, Carroll headed north, becoming the head coach of the Seahawks.
Back in the NFL, Carroll’s second stint would show his ability to coach at the highest level, reaching the Super Bowl twice and hoisting the Lombardi once. Now as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach, Carroll intends to bring his pursuit of victory to a team that hasn’t been to a Super Bowl in over twenty years.
Carroll’s signing during the 2025 offseason shows that owner Mark Davis and the organization are focused on trying to make winning synonymous with the Raiders once again. Recent Raider coaches such as Josh McDaniels and Antonio Pierce lacked the resume that Carroll brings to the position. Carroll showing that he can win at every level of football brings an unfamiliar hope to Raider fans as the 2025 season continues.
Age, Wisdom, and Youthfulness?
Carroll may be 74, but no one seems to have told him. He’s constantly engaging with players at practice, running drills at full speed and even jumping in for reps. While playful at times, Carroll doesn’t shy away from the serious side of coaching, showing both his team and the media that accountability comes first, without sugarcoating.
That approach stands in sharp contrast to Josh McDaniels, who failed to command the Raiders’ locker room. Antonio Pierce found a balance between playful and serious but lacked the experience to deliver results in a win-now league. Carroll, despite his flaws, carries a wisdom that seems ageless—and it’s clear his players are buying into his plan for success.
How does Pete Carroll stack up?
Raiders fans have seen all types of coaches over the past decade, but Carroll stands out from the most recent two. Josh McDaniels, despite a brief playoff run in Denver, failed to command the locker room and struggled against veteran coaches. His issues only deepened in Las Vegas, paving the way for Antonio Pierce. Pierce appeared to have control of his players, and the buy-in was clear, but the on-field results fell short, leading to his exit after one full season.
That contrast is what makes Carroll’s arrival feel different. Since the early 2000s and Jon Gruden’s first stint, the Raiders have been caught in a rinse-and-repeat cycle of change. With promising young talent such as Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, Carroll’s track record and consistency could accelerate the team’s rise. After dropping a heartbreaking home opener to the Chargers, the Raiders now turn to Washington, where they’ll face the Commanders in Week 3.
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*Top Photo: Official Raiders Website