Emotional Pete Carroll Reflects On Seahawks' Tenure: 'Loved Every Minute!'

Fighting back tears on several occasions in his exit press conference, Pete Carroll looked back fondly on a remarkable coaching career in the Pacific Northwest while maintaining the optimism that made him a legend leading the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl glory.

RENTON, Wash. - Meeting with his players for the final time on Monday morning after narrowly missing out on the playoffs, Pete Carroll didn't anticipate his lengthy run with the Seattle Seahawks would soon come to a close, keeping an optimistic eye towards the future as always.

But when Carroll and general manager John Schneider spoke with chair Jody Allen and vice chair Bert Kolde over the past few days for their annual post-season meetings, it became clear the organization desired a fresh start. Dropping a bombshell on the NFL news cycle late on Wednesday morning, the Seahawks announced he would be transitioning from coach into a still to be determined advisory role, sending shockwaves throughout the league.

In expected fashion, as Carroll thanked his former players, coaches, and family while speaking at the VMAC hours after news broke, he made it clear this wasn't his first choice and he "competed hard" to stay onboard as coach, believing Seattle still could take the next step forward under his direction. But ultimately, at 72 years of age, he understood the rationale behind making a change now.

Leaving the sidelines on a winning note, Pete Carroll's last game with the Seattle Seahawks resulted in a 21-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals / © Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

"It's clear, and for a variety of reasons, that we've mutually agreed to set a new course and for the club to take on new leadership," Carroll said in his opening statement. "That's just the decision that's been made and there's a lot that went into that. For all my guys, I think you know how much I competed for our perspective and our standpoint and all that... I friggin didn't back off for an instant."

Fighting back emotions throughout his exit press conference, it was a bittersweet moment for Carroll, his former players, reporters, and fans watching via live stream as the Seahawks gave the legendary coach a send off with loud music blaring in the auditorium at the VMAC.

Overall, Carroll won 137 games in 14 seasons with the Seahawks, leading his team to 11 winning seasons, 10 playoff berths, and five NFC West titles. He heads to an advisory role with a franchise-best .606 winning percentage and his 10 postseason wins ranks third in the NFL since 2010, putting him on the Mount Rushmore of NFL coaches over the past 25 years alongside all-time greats such as Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin.

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"It's been an honor and a thrill to be part of this program and I've loved every minute of it," Carroll said. "You've watched me love it in particular. It's exciting that there's such a future here and you can see it. We know what's happening and it's bright and the club's got great places to go and there's great chances - they don't happen automatically, there's a lot of work to be done and all of that - but the future is bright."

As he prepares to take a step back after a remarkable tenure rivaled by few coaches in NFL history, sticking to the blueprint that brought him immense success building a revered culture in Seattle, Carroll kept his eyes on the future of the franchise with an optimistic lens on Wednesday. As one of the main driving factors behind his decision to accept stepping aside, he's most excited to see what Schneider accomplishes now holding all the keys to the city moving forward.

After working in tandem making personnel decisions for nearly 15 years and building several championship teams together, Carroll can't wait to see his partner and friend hire his own coach to fill the massive Nike Air Monarchs left behind on the sideline. Regardless of who Schneider and the organization picks, he will be ready to offer whatever support he can with the goal of helping the Seahawks continue being contenders entering a new era.

"I'm so proud. I'm so excited for you to have this opportunity. It's going to be cool, and it's always been a great marriage. ... I'm just so grateful for that. And going forward I'll be your biggest fan now. I'll be there. I'll be right there for you."