Las Vegas Raiders reportedly near deal to hire Pete Carroll as head coach

The Las Vegas Raiders are negotiating a deal to hire Pete Carroll to be their new head coach, a person with knowledge of the decision told the Associated Press on Friday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract hasn’t been finalized.

The 73-year-old Carroll returns to the sideline after leading Seattle to two NFC championships and the franchise’s only Super Bowl title during a 14-year stretch that ended following the 2023 season.

He joins a team that’s partly owned by Tom Brady, who beat Carroll and the Seahawks in the Super Bowl 10 years ago. Brady watched from the sideline as Malcom Butler picked off Russell Wilson’s pass at the goal line to seal the victory for the New England Patriots.

The Raiders fired coach Antonio Pierce after going 4-13 in his first full season. Pierce was 5-4 as an interim coach in 2023 after replacing Josh McDaniels.

Carroll becomes the team’s 14th head coach since Jon Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay in 2002.

Carroll also won a college football championship as coach of Southern California.