• Seahawks Insider: Follow coaching and GM developments
University of Southern California coach Pete Carroll appears on the verge of becoming the eighth head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, though the deal isn’t done yet.
Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke traveled to Los Angeles to meet with Carroll late Saturday, with the possibility of negotiations lasting through Monday morning and the two sides emerging with a deal in hand for Carroll to become coach of the Seahawks by early this week.
However, indications from the team are that no deal is in place. The Los Angeles Times reported that Carroll has been offered a five-year deal worth $32.5 million, which boils down to $6.5 million annually.
And despite previous reports, Carroll only will be offered the head coaching position, and not a title as president of football operations.
That significant change in the description of Carroll’s future role with the Seahawks could be a sticking point in negotiations because Carroll was rumored to want final say on all personnel decisions.
But according to John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an organization that ensures NFL teams hiring coaches and front office executives follow the “Rooney Rule,” providing minority candidates a fair chance to compete for vacant positions, Carroll will not be offered the position of president of the Seahawks.
According to a Los Angeles Times report, Wooten would not agree to let Leiweke interview minority candidate Leslie Frazier, the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator, unless he gave his word that Carroll was not in the running for that position.
Wooten’s group felt that if Carroll was being pursued as president and coach of the Seahawks, then Frazier did not have a fair shot at the job.
“Our position is, if Pete Carroll comes there as the head coach, he will only be in charge of the 53-man football roster,” Wooten told the Times. “That’s the extent of his authority. Because of their commitment to swear that to us, we have agreed to let them interview Leslie Frazier.
“They can hire Pete Carroll if they want. But he cannot be anything more than a head coach. He does not have control of the draft. He does not have control of the trades. He does not have the last word on anything other than the 53 men he puts out on that field each and every week.
“If there’s any violation of anything else, you can rest assured – and I’ve already alerted the NFL office on this – it would mean that Tod Leiweke would have been dishonest with us and would have violated the Rooney Rule.”
Commissioner Roger Goodell told a group of reporters before the New York Jets-Cincinnati game that the Seahawks, along with the Washington Redskins, had both complied with the Rooney Rule in their search for head coaches.
“They have in both cases,” Goodell said. “I can assure you they have complied with the rule with the information that I have. I mean, I’ve been in contact with them so they’ve been in compliance. I can’t give all the details, but they’re in compliance.”
Leiweke reportedly interviewed Frazier for over four hours in Minneapolis on Saturday. Frazier also interviewed for the Buffalo Bills’ head coaching position on Thursday. Seattle also contacted the San Diego Chargers for permission to interview defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, but have not set up a formal interview.
According to an NFL.com report, the team also interviewed other candidates for the position this week, apparently before making the announcement that Jim Mora had been fired as the team’s coach on Friday. Mora was let go after finishing 5-11 in his first and only season as Seattle’s head coach.
However, although the Seahawks have interviewed other candidates, Carroll appears to be the team’s top choice.
The Seahawks also remain in pursuit of a general manager, with Green Bay director of football operations John Schneider and New York Giants head of scouting Marc Ross scheduled for interviews this week.
Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437
eric.williams@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks
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