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Pat McAfee Congratulates Pete Carroll After Removal From HC Role, Alludes To In-House Replacement

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Pete Carroll on the sidelines during a Seattle Seahawks game.

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Pat McAfee was heard congratulating Pete Carroll after it was announced he’d no longer be the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The sports show host found out in real time while on the air.

Carroll had been at the helm for the last 14 seasons, posting a 227-137 overall record. That included a Super Bowl run in the 2013 campaign.

Under the head coach’s leadership, the Seahawks racked up eight 10-win seasons between 2012 and 2020, though success of late has tapered.

In 2021, the franchise posted its first losing campaign since 2011 before just slipping into the postseason field last year at 9-8. Seattle would see a first round exit after a loss to the 49ers.

This season, the team posted another 9-8 record but missed out on the playoffs. Shortly after season’s end, it was announced that Carroll would no longer be the head coach.

Here’s what Pat McAfee had to say upon hearing the news.

“Hold the phone!… Pete Carroll is fired?!” McAfee asked. “Did he get fired? Did he part ways? Did he retire?”

He later learned that he could move into a front office role, leading McAfee to congratulate the longtime coach.

“Brad Stevens situation… Congrats to Pete Carroll then. I assume this is a move that he wanted to make.”

Where do the Seahawks go after Pete Carroll?

The crew went on to discuss the future in Seattle, seeming to believe the organization has an idea of who the next coach will be.

“I would think he already has somebody that he would want if he’s moving up to the front office,” said co-host AJ Hawk. “It’s obviously mutual that he has somebody he wants to be the next head coach that’s already on the staff.”

Early reports have linked Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to the role. He has NFL head coaching experience with the Falcons and is seemingly at the top of the list. Current college coaches Lincoln Riley and Jim Harbaugh could be trendy names to watch, too.

Is there someone on staff that could also get a look?

It will be interesting to see how the Seahawks move forward. After a somewhat shocking announcement, there doesn’t seem to be much clarity on the future.