Washington State Senate pays tribute to former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll

OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Washington State Senate on Friday afternoon approved a resolution honoring former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

During their meeting, the Senate each shared their fondest memories of Carroll throughout his 14-year tenure.

Senate member Ann Rivers is the prime sponsor of the resolution, which highlights Carroll's accomplishments at both the collegiate and professional levels as well as his philanthropic work outside the gridiron. The honor ended with a congratulations for his “memorable and rewarding 14 seasons as the Seattle Seahawks head coach, but also for his dedication to making the world around him a better place.”

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Rivers, wearing a Seahawks "12" jersey, continued to praise what she described as Carroll's "glorious" coaching tenure.

“He thrilled us, he inspired us, he united us,” Rivers said.

It was announced on Wednesday, Jan. 10, that Carroll would not return as the Seahawks head coach. At 72, Carroll was the oldest active coach in the NFL. A day after the Seahawks wrapped up their 9-8 season, Carroll said on Seattle Sports radio that he desired to return in 2024.

During Carroll's press conference following the announcement of his departure, he said, “This isn’t about me being the head coach. It’s about this organization being successful and on course for the long haul of it as well, and I realize that. I’m about as old as you can get in this business, and there comes a time they gotta make some decisions, moving towards the future.”

After thoughtful meetings and careful consideration for the best interest of the franchise, we have amicably agreed with Pete Carroll that his role will evolve from Head Coach to remain with the organization as an advisor," the Seahawks posted on X. "Pete is the winningest coach in Seahawks history, brought the city its first Super Bowl title and created a tremendous impact over the past 14 years on the field and in the community. His expertise in leadership and building a championship culture will continue as an integral part of our organization moving forward.

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Carroll departed as the most successful coach in franchise history, but with an unsatisfactory conclusion after several seasons of middling results. He’ll forever be lauded as the first coach to bring the Lombardi Trophy to Seattle with the Super Bowl 48 victory over Denver.

Carroll stepped aside with a 137-69-1 record in his time with the Seahawks. He led Seattle to five NFC West titles and 10 playoff victories.