‘I can’t get enough of him’: How Carroll has already earned Raiders’ trust

Justin Fargasalmost did a double take upon hearing Pete Carroll’s instructions just before the first snap of a USC football scrimmage in 2002.

It was the dog days of summer for the Trojans, and they were still trying to find their footing entering Carroll’s second season as coach.

“We’re gonna hand the ball to you,” Carroll told Fargas. “I want you to run to the line of scrimmage and fumble it.”

Fargas was stunned, but did what he was told. Carroll cursed him out, as well as the offense and defense. Then he warned the players the other shoe was about to drop.

Fargas, now a Raiders assistant, knew he and his teammates were about to run as punishment. The players’ legs and bodies were aching, but they knew they hadn’t been sharp in recent practices.

Carroll, however, surprised everyone. He told his team it was going to the beach.

Sure enough, a fleet of buses were waiting outside USC’s practice field. The entire team, tired and weary moments earlier, was swimming in the Pacific Ocean within 20 minutes.

“And it was right on time,” Fargas said.

The story explains Carroll’s superpower. He can tell what his team needs at any given moment.

He knows when to push hard or lay off. When to scold players or encourage them. When to release some tension.

It’s why Carroll, 73, became one of the most successful coaches in USC history. Why he transformed the Seahawks in his 14 seasons in Seattle. And why the Raiders hired him in January to turn around their franchise.

“I’m just so grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to do this again,” Carroll said.

New ideas

Carroll had a long climb up the coaching ladder after starting as a graduate assistant at Pacific in 1973.

But by the time he was hired at USC in 2000, he had been fired by the Jets and the Patriots. He still hadn’t proved he could lead his own program.

Carroll decided to try something different in Los Angeles.

He believed a relationship-driven culture built on positivity, competition and a relentless pursuit of self-improvement could lead to just as much success as the stoic, iron-fisted leadership style seen at other schools. That he could work players hard but also take them to the beach when they needed a break.

Players immediately noticed things were much different than they were under previous coach Paul Hackett.

“(It was) a tectonic shift,” former USC tight end Alex Holmes said. “Everything became about competition. Who could get to the gym or to the workouts the earliest? You had linemen trying to beat linebackers in sprint drills. There was a real emphasis on competing at everything.”

Carroll’s cutting-edge doctrine and the buy-in it received from his players set the stage for one of the greatest runs in modern college football history. USC won two nationals championships during his tenure — one was later vacated due to NCAA violations — and produced three Heisman Trophy winners. He left with a 97-19 record in nine seasons.

Carroll later used those same principles to push the Seahawks to new heights. He took Seattle to back-to-back Super Bowls and led the team to victory in Super Bowl 48, joining Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer as the only coaches who have won a championship in college and the NFL.

Carroll, who stepped down from the Seahawks following the 2023 season, has now brought his tried-and-true game plan to Las Vegas. He expects to see similar results.

“We have a philosophy and a way to do things, things we believe in, and the sooner we can get everybody understanding it and being on board with it, the sooner we’ll move ahead and move forward,” Carroll said. “I’m not talking about just the football team. I’m talking about the people that are in the organization.”

New journey

Carroll seems unfazed by the challenge of turning around the Raiders, who went 4-13 last season and have made the playoffs just twice since losing Super Bowl 37 in 2003.

His impact is already being felt around the building. The words “Always Compete” greet players at the entrance to the Raiders’ Henderson headquarters. Multiple days of the week have themes, like “Tell the Truth Monday,” “Competition Wednesday,” “Turnover Thursday” and “No Repeat Friday.” There are impromptu pickup basketball games.

Carroll may be the oldest coach in the NFL ahead of the Chiefs’ Andy Reid, 67. But Carroll is showing no signs of slowing down.

He bounces around the Raiders practice field in a way that leaves people far younger than him in awe, including his players.

“I don’t know how he finds that energy, where it’s coming from, but just the little burst that he has pushes us all,” wide receiver Jakobi Meyers said.

Carroll’s boundless enthusiasm also isn’t an act. Quarterback Geno Smith learned that firsthand during the four years he played in Seattle.

“Pete’s been the same guy every day since I met him, and I think that’s what makes him special,” Smith said. “He’s super energetic. … He’s just fired up as soon as he wakes up. And I mean, he brings the juice every single day.”

Carroll only knows one speed. That forces everyone else in the building to keep up.

“You have no choice but to fall in line,” Smith said. “And so all of us as leaders on the team, and every single guy on the team, we’re following the coach’s lead.”

New connections

Carroll often uses his boundless energy to tap into his superpower.

He makes it a point to form individual connections with his players. He knew right away he could needle star defensive end Maxx Crosby, who shares Carroll’s competitive drive and constant desire to improve.

“We met for the first time before he got hired, and we’re already breaking balls going back and forth,” Crosby said. “And we have that relationship that we’re building every day, but it’s all about competition. And I feel like certain people are meant to be in your life for a reason.”

Carroll doesn’t only try to push players’ buttons, however.

One thing he did upon taking the Raiders job was sit down with third-year tight end Michael Mayer, who took a leave of absence last season for personal reasons. Carroll had a long heart-to-heart with Mayer, and has continued to check in with him ever since. As a result, Mayer is all in.

“I can’t get enough of him,” Mayer said. “I want to listen to him talk and give motivational speeches all damn day long.”

That ability to take the pulse of the locker room and get the most out of players made Carroll one of the most respected coaches in the game at his two previous stops. It remains to be seen if he can work that same magic with the Raiders. But the eternal optimist sees no reason to put a ceiling on his new team’s potential.

“I’m anticipating that we’re going to find that rhythm right here, right now, here in Vegas,” Carroll said. “With the Raiders and this opportunity, I feel like I’ve been there before, and I’m going to bank on that.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.