Exclusive: Head coach Pete Carrroll on working through the pandemic

(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Seahawks Training Camp kicks off today! Q13 Fox is your exclusive home for all things Seahawks. We’ve got you covered with interviews you won’t see anywhere else.

Sports Director Aaron Levine sat down to talk to head coach Pete Carroll about how the pandemic changed the team. 

Read the transcript interview below:

Levine: Having been through a pandemic for the last year, I think the seahawks did an extraordinary job at keeping players safe. But for you personally, in what ways did living through this pandemic, change the way you approach your job and maybe some of all the duties that come with it?

Carroll: This was a life-altering event — it just changed so many things, the way we look at things. For us here, what was really exciting was that we decided to go right to the basics of our approach in philosophy and we used the same teachings that we use for our football team for addressing the pandemic, which really it’s all about attitude.

 And that starts with protecting the team first, and just as we worked our way through the philosophy, it fit, and our guys really embraced it and took it to heart. Forget the football season, we accomplished something very unique, in that a bunch of people came together, joined in, said ‘We’re going to do this for one another, and we’re going take care of business, and we’re not going to step outside the virtual bubble that we created. And you can count on me.’

And then to be winning games and winning divisional and all that kind of stuff. In all the process of all that, it just kind of added to the whole experience of it. I’m real proud of that season. I’ll always remember this past season. For all of that which took place you know even the learning in the off-season, no off-season, work and coming to camp, and our guys jumped at it you know after all the zoom stuff we did. Just it was a remarkable season and I’m hoping and glad it’s behind us. You know and we’ll move forward and have fun like we used to and enjoy the heck out of it. 

Levine: When you first got here, the sounders were in just their second season. Now we’ve got the Kraken starting up in a few months. How excited are you for the NHL to be here in Seattle? 

Carroll: I am really excited about that. You know, and seeing Todd Wihckey over there trying to get everybody else stirred up and all that. He's doing a fantastic job. the whole program has been staged so beautifully and the stadium looks so good. And so much concern for the community. The fans are gonna love it. It’s gonna be a great attraction, I hope we win some games and all that, but it’ll be really fun. I can’t wait to go to games there. 

Levine: Finally, correct me if I'm wrong but in the last 48 years of coaching for you, you've had just one year away from the game between the Patriots and USC? Is that right?

Carroll: Yes.

Levine: Have you ever gotten to the point where you’re away on vacation with family in the off-season and think ‘hey I can get used to this. I could retire, I could surf every morning, do whatever I want to do? 

Carroll: No, no. 

Levine: That doesn't compute with you?

Carroll: No I haven't. No, that year was a productive year in some regards, and you know rearranged my whole approach to coaching, which is healthy, won a lot of games since then you know. But, I got a chance to taste retirement then and that was... I didn't like it. Really five-year plan! Five years out we're going you know, that’s kind of the way we look at it now. 

Levine: Well we like to hear that coach, and thanks so much for joining us. Best of luck this season. Look forward to training camp.

Carroll: Alright go Hawks! Here we go 12s, coming back!

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