Last week, the Las Vegas Raiders made waves by hiring 73-year-old Pete Carroll as their new head coach.
This decision came shortly after the highly sought-after Ben Johnson, who many speculated was at the top of the Raiders’ list, took the head coach job with the Chicago Bears instead of joining Las Vegas. For several days, rumors swirled about Johnson’s potential interest in the Raiders, but his agent, Rick Smith of Priority Sports, later debunked these claims. However, Smith did confirm that minority owner Tom Brady made a compelling pitch to Johnson, which may have played a role in the Raiders ultimately hiring Carroll.
Now, the Raiders are facing heavy criticism for their choice of Carroll as head coach. According to Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, the team is taking heat at the East-West Shrine Bowl for hiring the Super Bowl-winning coach. The decision has drawn mockery, especially after Brady’s failed attempt to bring in Liam Coen, who opted to join the Jacksonville Jaguars instead. “The Raiders have received a lot of ridicule from all corners here at Shrine practice after hiring Pete Carroll,” Pauline reported. “The team and Brady had hoped to secure Coen, but after he chose Jacksonville, the decision to go with Carroll is leaving many questioning the logic behind it.”
It appears Carroll was the team’s backup plan.
On a more positive note, the Raiders are receiving praise for hiring John Spytek as their new general manager. Pauline noted the contrast in reactions between the two hires: “The response to their new general manager hire couldn’t be more different. People are confident in John Spytek, who previously served as assistant general manager for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining the Raiders. Many believe Spytek has a keen eye for personnel and will play a key role in improving the Raiders’ roster.”
Carroll, with a record of 170-120 as an NFL head coach, may not have been the Raiders’ top choice, but his hiring is seen as a relatively safe option for the franchise.
