Richard Sherman Dumbfounded by Pete Carroll-Seahawks Coaching Breakup

The Seattle great was moved nearly to tears by his former coach's sudden departure.

Pete Carroll was the Seattle Seahawks—the team he coached for 14 seasons before the two sides parted ways Wednesday. His easygoing, gum-chewing persona became a universally recognized symbol of sports in the 21st century for the Pacific Northwest, in no small part because it belied the ferocity of his teams.

Even though the Seahawks struggled at times in 2023—they went 9-8 as they did in 2022, but no playoff berth materialized this time around—many viewed Carroll's departure as a shock. Chief among them was former Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, who made his name playing for Carroll in the "Legion of Boom" defense from 2011-17.

"It's been a long time. He's been there for 14 years. Winningest coach in Seahawks history," Sherman said on his eponymous podcast. "I'm very surprised by this decision. Again, another winning season... I did not see this coming. I did not see them letting Pete go."

Following Carroll’s tenure with the Seahawks, his all-time NFL coaching record sits at 170-120-1, including four years in the 1990s with the New York Jets and New England Patriots. He went 97-19 in the college ranks with USC from 2001-09, splitting the national title in 2003 and winning it outright in 2004.

“This is a shocking decision from Seattle. I just don’t know what they’re gonna do going forward,” an emotional Sherman said. “It’s big shoes to fill and a hard spot to fill when a guy has had this much success with an organization.”