The USC football program has yet another loss to handle this season.
Pete Carroll, the coach of the Trojans for the past nine seasons, is said to be calling it quits in Southern California and heading to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
Carroll is also in the midst of two NCAA investigations, including one over Reggie Bush and the recent investigation over whether junior running back Joe McKnight broke NCAA rules by using an SUV that does not belong to him.
With both McKnight and junior wide receiver Damian Williams leaving for the NFL, and backup quarterback Aaron Corp transferring to Richmond, the departure of Carroll will be a big blow for the Trojans as well as many of their recruits.
Despite initial reports of an agreement, nothing official has been made.
The Seahawks and Carroll, according to most recent reports, are said to agree to the deal in the principle ““ a five-year, $32.5-million one at that.
According to The Associated Press, a league official with direct connections to Seattle’s coaching search said the team is close to a deal with Carroll.
Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke spent Sunday in Los Angeles interviewing Pete Carroll.
The same official added that the Seahawks will not name Carroll the president.
Rather, the squad will fill their additional vacancies of president and general manager separately, leaving Carroll only in charge of the team’s 53-man roster.
“No, they do not have an agreement. They are not there,” the official told The AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Seahawks are not commenting on the progress of the talks. “(Seattle) would not name him GM or president ““ for obvious reasons.”
Carroll is said to have turned down NFL offers in the previous seasons because of issues with not being able to make personnel decisions left to team presidents and general managers.
The Seahawks recently fired coach Jim Mora, and they asked GM and President Tim Ruskell to resign Dec. 3, 2009.
In Carroll’s nine seasons with the Trojans, he won four Rose Bowls, two Orange Bowls and a pair of national championships. He finished in the top four of both the Coaches and AP polls for seven straight seasons and won a school-record 34 consecutive games between 2003 and 2005.
Carroll coached in the NFL from 1984 to 1999. He was a defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills and the head coach of the New England Patriots.
Compiled by Farzad Mashhood. A version of this story appeared on dailybruin.com Saturday morning.