FanNation

T-Fo's Las Vegas-style Show said 01/15, 08:59 AM
Ok, I'll take it...Coaching, like all aspects of athletics isn't just about the money. Now granted, it is a BIG part, and the Falcons would pay Pete plenty.

The other draw for coaches is to succeed on the next level. Some may argue that college football is superior to the NFL, but for coaches the pull of the pros is very addictive. It has drawn icons of the college game like Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, and yes, Pete Carroll once before.

And that's even more reason. His past failure gives him something to prove. His success on the collegiate level is unquestioned, and he could live comfortably on the coattails of his past success at USC. But coaches are competitors too. They want to win on the biggest stage of all. Maybe he doesn't want to live that way...maybe there's a fire burning inside him to prove to the football world that he can succeed as an NFL coach - it is an elite fraternity.

If he has that fire, I say good for him - if it is what he really wants to do (for reasons other than just the money) it is a good move for Pete Carroll.

Often times in life you find that the things you did NOT do, are the ones you regret the most.

T-Fo's Las Vegas-style Show said 01/15, 02:10 PM
The question is, though, WHY do all these immensely successful college coaches risk their reputations, comfy jobs, and life among the co-eds?

It's easy to say he should play it safe. It's also easy to say he has no chance with the Falcons. But for every 10 college coaches who fail, there's always the chance for brilliant success. For example, consider the case of Jimmy Johnson. He was a hugely popular coach of one of if not the best college programs in the country when he wa at the U. So what does he do? He leaves it all behind to coach a Cowboys team that in the years before his arrival had been pretty pathetic. The rest, of course, is history. JJ's name will go down as a part of the Cowboys dynasty of the 1990's.

So maybe he will fail if he goes to Atlanta...should fear of failure be the prime motivating factor in one's career or life? If it were, truly nothing would get accomplished. Failure is very real. A strong desire to overcome it is paret of what we are.

T-Fo's Las Vegas-style Show said 01/16, 08:53 AM
This TD is not, as some of the comments suggest, WILL Pete take the Falcons job. The TD is whether it would be a bad move on his part. Consider this...

Pete Carroll has what I will call a "Yeah but..." on his resume. That black spot was his former attempt at coaching in the NFL. I am sure that he would love a chance to erase it. In Atlanta, there are some problems to be sure. Mike Vick is gone, but the Falcons are not that far removed from being a playoff team! A high draft pick, a deep-pocket owner who will spend to rebuild...a booming southern metropolis to play in...Atlanta is hardly the wasteland some are portraying it to be. There is plenty of potential to turn the franchise around.

That's the type of challenge a coach loves. This isn't a Norv Turner or Wade Phillips sitiuation, where he would be stepping to helm a team with deep-playoff hopes. Expectations are very low. It's almost perfect...things can't get worse, any positive change and Pete's a hero.

Will he do it? I doubt it. BUT, would it be a BAD move? Not so fast.