Stunning Coaching Changes Sent Shockwaves Across the Football World on Wednesday
Josh Frey
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It’s been a wild first week of the offseason across the football world.
On Tuesday, Mike Vrabel was fired by the Tennessee Titans after a 54-45 record over his six seasons with the team, including an AFC Championship appearance in 2019. That seemed like a stunning coaching change at the time, but Wednesday brought even more shockwaves across football. Here is a look at two more stunning coaching changes that took place throughout Wednesday.
Seahawks Fire Pete Carroll
After 14 seasons, the Seattle Seahawks have made the decision to move on from head coach Pete Carroll. The decision was reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN, who tweeted, “A shocker in Seattle: Pete Carroll is expected to be out as the Seahawks head coach, per sources. He still could remain in the organization, but not as the head coach.”
Carroll took the head coaching job in Seattle back in 2010, and immediately led the Seahawks to the playoffs. Of course, it came with the caveat of a 7-9 record in a weak NFC West, but it was a sign of things to come for Seattle moving forward.
A couple years later, the Seahawks would draft Russell Wilson in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and from that point on, the duo of Carroll and Wilson would terrorize the NFC for the remainder of the decade.
Seattle would go on to win Super Bowl XLVIII against the Denver Broncos by a dominant 43-8 margin, and a year later they would make an appearance in Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots.
In all, the Seahawks went 137-89-1 under Carroll, and they made the playoffs in 10 of 14 seasons. There is a chance that Carroll remains in Seattle under more of an executive role, but his coaching career with the team is over.
Nick Saban Retires
Just hours after Carroll was let go by the Seahawks, a stunning change took place at the college football level as well. During the late afternoon, a report surfaced that Nick Saban would be retiring from coaching after 17 years with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The news was initially reported by Chris Low of ESPN, who tweeted, “Nick Saban is retiring, sources tell ESPN. He won six national titles at Alabama.”
Saban will go down as the best coach in college football history, and his 17-year stint with the Crimson Tide held some of the greatest success we’ve seen in any sport.
Under Saban’s tutelage, Alabama went a ridiculous 206-29, and they won a total of six national championships while appearing in three others. Making this stretch even more ridiculous is the fact that six of those 29 losses losses came during Saban’s first year at Alabama in 2007.
This year was one of Saban’s best coaching jobs as he took a team that was not talented as some others to the College Football Playoff. Ultimately, though, Alabama would lose to the Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl.
Now, for the first time in nearly two decades, there will be a new coach leading the Crimson Tide in 2024.
Former Vikings Coach Fired by Bears
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.