Former Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll Excited for Disciple Dave Canales

Longtime Seattle Seahawks assistant Dave Canales is getting his first head-coaching job with the Carolina Panthers.

Feb 1, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales speaks to the media during the introductory press conference for new general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The coaching tree of former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has spread far and wide, and now, it's planted roots in Charlotte.

In January, the Carolina Panthers hired longtime Seahawks assistant Dave Canales to be their next head coach, a huge step for the 43-year-old. Canales joined Carroll's staff at USC, followed him to Seattle and held various roles there, and spent last season as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive coordinator. So in roughly a year, Canales went from a position coach to full-blown head coach.

Needless to say, Carroll is eager to see his disciple coach at this level for the first time.

"He's way better prepared as a young head coach than I was," Carroll told FOX Sports' Greg Auman. "I was totally unprepared. It took me a while — I had to get kicked around enough before I got going. He's got a much better runway to starting this. He's well-versed, he knows what's going on, he's very articulate.

"So much of it is how well you can convey the message, and he's a really good communicator. I'm totally jacked about watching him, because he's ready to go."

It's easy to forget with how successful Carroll was in Seattle, but it took him quite a while to find his footing as a head coach. His first NFL head coaching gig came with the New York Jets in 1994, and he lasted just one season after going 6-10. He had more success with the New England Patriots as he made the playoffs twice in three years, but was still let go after the 1999 season.

Based on his previous experience with Canales, Carroll belives he is in great position to succeed as a first-time head coach.

"He has the background, the understanding, the philosophy and the principles, all of that," Carroll said. "He gets to use whatever he wants to. We did a lot of winning, a lot of good things, had our hardships, so he's had a really well-rounded experience."

Canales is in a bit of a tough situation, as he's inheriting a team that finished with the NFL's worst record of 2-15 and is on its third full-time head coach in as many years. However, Canales is a quarterback whisperer as he helped both Seattle's Geno Smith and Tampa's Baker Mayfield have career seasons over the past two years. If he can work that same magic on 2023 top pick Bryce Young, he would instantly prove himself as the man for the job.

"I don't think there's any doubt that's going to help, because there's going to be some hardships along the way, figuring it out," Carroll said. "Somebody's going to have to hold the vision of the future, and he will. He'll be really positive and forward-thinking. He won't let things knock him off course. He'll be really resilient. He'll show them what they can become and stick to it."