Pete Carroll hasn't communicated with Seahawks at all despite advisor role, 'not desiring' return to coaching

He isn't returning to the sidelines, but Pete Carroll is going back to a place where he achieved some of his highest professional highs.

Carroll, who parted ways with the Seahawks in January following a 14-year partnership, has accepted a teaching role at USC, the school that he led to a pair of national championships in the 2000s.

"It's going to be a really exciting endeavor when it all is finalized," Carroll said on 93.3 KJR, via NFL.com .

The 72-year-old football lifer is no doubt excited about his new venture. But has he closed the door on a return to football?

"Well, you know, I get asked a lot, so I'm pretty familiar with answering that I could coach tomorrow," Carroll said. "I'm physically in the best shape I've been in a long time. I'm ready to be ready to do all the activities that I'm doing and feeling really good about it. I could, but I'm not desiring it at this point."

If he never coaches again, Carroll's career as it currently stands will undoubtedly receive consideration for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the very near future.

During his 18 years as an NFL head coach, Carroll won 58.6% of his games. He won 60.6% of his games in Seattle, a run that included the franchise's first Super Bowl win, two NFC championships, five division titles and 10 playoff appearances.

Carroll also has the distinction of being just one of two head coaches to win both a national title and a Super Bowl title. The only other coach to have done so, Jimmy Johnson, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Technically, Carroll is still employed by Seattle as an advisor, but he recently said he hasn't had any recent communication with the team's brass.

"I really haven't. I haven't talked to those guys, at all," Carroll said, via The News Tribune . "I ran into Mike (Macdonald) in the parking lot one day, and it was a great chance, just the two of us alone, to say hey and kind of get greeted -- and on we go.

"I have not had much to do with them in any way. And really I just watched some of the (preseason) games a little when I see him on TV. I'm not paying that much attention to it.

"It just feels like it's the right thing to do to let them go."