Southern Cal Coach Pete Carroll (official thread)

[jwinslow]

Draft Daddy: NFL Draft News and Knowledge

A few weeks ago N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell warned some of the elite college sophomore and junior quarterbacks to think long and hard before declaring for the draft, because he noted almost all of the top quarterbacks in the N.F.L. today stayed in school until they were seniors. He also mentioned that most of the quarterbacks that declared early over the last several years were busts. Yesterday, an angry Pete Carroll reiterated this when he told the media how disappointed he was that U.S.C. quarterback Mark Sanchez was leaving early.
Were commissioner Goodell and U.S.C. head coach Pete Carroll needlessly exaggerating just to scare these youngsters off? We put together a list of Quarterbacks that have Declared Early since 1989 and it does seem like the vast majority of these signal callers were/are very mediocre or are downright draft busts. If history is any guide, Matt Stafford, Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman and Nate Davis better prepare themselves for a very bumpy ride going forward.
DD.comment: We did our best to come up with this list, but it's tough because we couldn't find an official list anywhere and had to do it by memory. We think we have all the key names, but if any of our readers see any omissions, please contact us and tell us who we left off. We are looking for any notable quarterbacks that entered the draft early (via the regular or supplemental draft) since 1989. We are only listing prospects that were drafted or felt they had a strong chance to be drafted when they declared, not long shots who only declared because they were failing out of school or just wanted to quit school and were looking for their five minutes of fame.
*** L.A. Times writer Bill Plaschke blasts U.S.C head coach Pete Carroll for his demeanor at Mark Sanchez's press conference yesterday.
DD.comment: All our sources tell us Sanchez should be a first round pick, but it's real early in the process and who knows what will happen. Also, with all due respect to Mr. Plaschke, we'd love to know who has ranked Sanchez as the 10th best prospect in the draft? It can't be the N.F.L. Draft Advisory Committee, because they only dole out round projections (1st round, 2nd-3rd, 4th-7th and free agent). We are left wondering if Bill got that gaudy projection from the same notable pair that had Andre Woodson projected as a future #1 overall pick throughout the spring, summer and fall of 2007?

[ysubuck]

Originally Posted by matcar

I don't know. I guess I've watched that video and thought about it, and maybe it's as simple as being disappointed for his own prospects next year. But I wondered if there wasn't more to it than that. He alluded to Mark getting pounded w/ stuff. Perhaps he's a bit miffed at agents or others filling Mark's head with what he believes are bad ideas. Perhaps he's also really concerned that this is a poor choice and can't just "give up." Along those lines, it's like Randy Pausch said, it's when a coach gives up that you should be concerned, because that's when he no longer cares about you.

I certainly concede that it could all be just sour grapes, but it just made me wonder if there was more to it than that and that the message was made because he felt it needed to be. I'm not expert on this stuff or Pete Carroll, and I agree the whole thing felt odd.

Isn't Pete the one that allows agents at practice? If that's the case then maybe he should re think that policy.

It's all fun and games until it bites you in the ass huh Pete??

[BB73]

I've added some of the posts from the Sanchez thread into here, for historical purposes within Pete's thread. Here's a take on the situation from Tony Gerdeman of the Ozone.

ozone

Carroll-ing Season Has Arrived
By Tony Gerdeman

...

By now most everybody has read or seen Carroll?s reaction to what he feels is a bad decision by Sanchez, even though, at worst, Sanchez is the second-highest rated quarterback on most teams? boards this year. In the previous three NFL drafts, the average contract for the second
quarterback drafted is worth $33.7 million with $10 million guaranteed.

Sounds like a no-brainer, no?

Yet Carroll has the gall and impudence to declare that he has his player?s best interests at heart.

Yeah, and ?this is going to hurt me more than it?s going to hurt you?.
So on the biggest day in Mark Sanchez?s life, Carroll stood in the same room with his quarterback and talked about what a poor decision he was making, stating that the junior would be tremendously helped by more playing time.

...

But Pete Carroll doesn?t really seem to let his players? families get in the way of his self-absorbed rationalizations. But then, mercenaries generally don?t.

Take the example of offensive lineman Chilo Rachal who left after his junior season to enter the draft last year. Rachal?s mother had a tumor in her stomach, as he put it, ?the size of a six-month old?, and his father, who was 64 at this time last year, had two hernias in his stomach and tendonitis in his knees, yet still had to work construction to take care of Rachal?s mother. So you have a family with no insurance, and all they could get was the type of care that Medicaid provided. And what did Carroll tell Rachal when the two talked about whether or not to declare for the NFL draft? Unbelievably, Carroll tried to convince him to come back to school.

Ailing family be damned when Pete Carroll needs a right guard! Land owners weren?t this reluctant to give up indentured servants at the end of their stated terms.

What kind of man can listen to the story of one of his players, knowing the player had already lost two brothers when he was a child, and is now facing the very real possibility of losing his parents, and then tell the kid it would be in his best interest for him to come back for his senior season?

That?s beyond selfish; it?s almost evil.

Fortunately, Rachal did not listen to Carroll, and instead entered the draft, where he was taken in the second round, signing a four-year contract worth $3.5 million with $1.8 million guaranteed. Could he have made more if he had come back? Maybe. Did he need the money now? Absolutely. Did Pete Carroll care about what Rachal needed? Not even a little.

And let?s not even get into the part about Pete Carroll playing Rachal at right guard because he was worried he?d leave early if he played right tackle.

Cont'd ...

[Oh8ch]

I have always had a level of respect for Carroll.

Going, going.......

[BB73]

An SI article on the press conference.

si.com

Carroll embarrasses himself, Sanchez during press conference

Pete Carroll usually gets what he wants. He has a higher winning percentage than any active coach in college football. He probably lands a higher percentage of the players he recruits than anyone in the country. And recently, he's compiled an impressive track record convincing underclassmen to stay at USC instead of entering the NFL draft.

This is why you mostly see Carroll smiling, laughing and jumping up and down during games and practices like an overzealous freshman stepping onto the field for the first time. Life is generally good when things go your way.

When they don't, however, you get the type of embarrassment that occurred during Mark Sanchez's press conference on Thursday when he announced he would forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

It should have been a happy occasion for Sanchez, who has spent four years at USC, will graduate in the spring with a degree in communications and set a Rose Bowl record by passing for 413 yards and four touchdowns in his last collegiate game.

Instead, Carroll used the occasion to rain on Sanchez's parade and tell everyone that Sanchez leaving USC early is a big mistake.

...

After he spoke, Carroll, who also put a story on his Web site outlining why Sanchez made a bad decision, stood up and walked into the crowd as Sanchez took questions from reporters, apparently unable to standby his former quarterback in a physical sense as he had done with other players holding similar press conferences. Carroll then walked out the back of the room before Sanchez was finished with his press conference. Carroll may have just returned from Hawaii, but in that moment Sanchez was the one suddenly on an island, with no supporters outside of his father, Nick, standing nearby.

It was a sad display for the usually gregarious Carroll, who spoke of Sanchez as a statistic rather than a person and a player he's known for five years. If that's what Carroll has to say about Sanchez in front of the cameras, I'd hate to hear what he's going to say about him behind closed doors when NFL scouts and general managers start calling him.

Cont'd ...

[BB73]

Here's what Pete put up in his own web site shortly after the press conference.

www.petecarroll.com

15-Jan-09
In strong disagreement
Carroll reveals why he disagrees with Sanchez's decision to turn pro early


By Ben Malcolmson
USCRipsIt
PeteCarroll.com


After days of deliberation, Coach Pete Carroll and Mark Sanchez agreed to disagree.

But that definitely doesn't mean Carroll is content with Sanchezs decision to forgo his senior season and declare for the NFL Draft.

Carroll fleshed out his disagreement with Sanchez's decision during a passionate exclusive interview with USCRipsIt about an hour after the quarterback's announcement on Thursday morning.

"The facts are so strong against this decision," Carroll said. "After analyzing all the information, the truth is there - he should've stayed for another year."

Carroll cited a study that shows 62 percent of underclassmen quarterbacks who declare early for the Draft eventually don't pan out in the NFL. He also pointed to Sanchez's NFL Draft evaluation, which projected Sanchez as a second-round selection.

"Mark's chance to increase his value and become the top player in college football next year would have been worth $10-$20 million or more - likely more," Carroll said. "One more year of running a team is almost priceless, so he lost the chance to fully prepare himself and become the very best he could be before going to the NFL.

"That's why there's a 62 percent failure rate for underclassmen quarterbacks."

During the press conference, Sanchez repeatedly referred to achieving a lifelong dream as to one of the reasons he made this decision.

"We have always been in full support of Mark pursuing his dream," Carroll said, "he just should have postponed realizing his dream another 12 months."

Cont'd ...

[LitlBuck]

I watched Around the Horn and PTI yesterday evening and all of those guys were very displeased with Petey's quotes at the press conference. Glad some of the media are finally saying something regarding a classless guy who must be all for himself.

[Best Buckeye]

It 's terrible that its almost 2 in the sat afternoon and there's no BB game on worth watching and BTN is showing women's gymnastics where I saw a woman big enough to be miss Piggy on the balance beam.

but enough of that, so onward and upward to Pete Carroll who yesterday may have just burst his own bubble as far as recruiting goes.
Having said that I think I'll go take a nap until some BBcomes on.

[jwinslow]

"We have always been in full support of Mark pursuing his dream," Carroll said, "he just should have postponed realizing his dream another 12 months."

He can even sweet talk his own brain with contradictions like that...

[808 Buck]

Hernandez added that Simione Vehikite is visiting USC this weekend. The 6-1, 245-pound linebacker/fullback committed to the Trojans last month and hosted coach Pete Carroll and his wife two weeks ago.
"They love him. They're asking him, 'What number do you want to be?' Pete is thinking of putting in a package for him with fullback screens," Hernandez said.

Kapolei's Hasiak switches commitment to California - Sports - Starbulletin.com

See, Petey always has the best interests of his players in his heart.

[NightmaresDad]

My first - and only - impression after clicking onto Petecarroll.com.......

Could there possibly be a bigger difference between two coaches' websites than petecarroll.com and coachtressel.com?

One is about the university and family and the other one bludgeons you over the head with "Win Forever". $$$$$$$$, baby!

[BUCKYLE]

Originally Posted by NightmaresDad

My first - and only - impression after clicking onto Petecarroll.com.......

Could there possibly be a bigger difference between two coaches' websites than petecarroll.com and coachtressel.com?

One is about the university and family and the other one bludgeons you over the head with "Win Forever". $$$$$$$$, baby!

Not to mention the fact that Petey's site has about ten different pictures of him, while JT's has...none.

[ScarletStorms]

Does anyone else think that a 62% failure rate might be lower than that of senior quarterbacks?

[bukIpower]

That numbers probably been stretched by Petey... Because how do you define Failure? Failure means different things for different people, and I wouldn't doubt that Pete' idea of failure was whatever it meant to get to 62% failure.

[buckeyesin07]

NFL Mock Draft 2009, Version 1.0, Picks 1-10 - Don Banks - SI.com

cnnsi.com mock draft projecting Sanchez as the #10 pick overall. Yeah, Pete, we believe you when you tell us that you were just looking out for Sanchez's best interests when you laid into him for turning pro a year early. It wasn't just that you were being incredibly selfish.