http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3188045

I bet the USC board's server is about to meltdown... He'd be a fool to leave SC imo

USC coach Pete Carroll is interested in the Atlanta Falcons' head coach opening and is expected to speak with Atlanta owner Arthur Blank via phone Wednesday, sources at the American Football Coaches Convention in Anaheim told ESPN's Joe Schad.


[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

Pete Carroll has been rumored for many head coaching vacancies in the NFL in recent years.

Blank is expected to offer full control of personnel decisions to Carroll and the sources said that is what intrigues Carroll most. Carroll is currently on vacation in Hawaii.

The Falcons' interest in talking to Carroll about their opening was first reported Tuesday night by ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli.

Carroll, who has previously been a head coach in the NFL with the New York Jets and New England Patriots, is the biggest name on the list of Atlanta candidates.



Carroll, 56, recently completed his seventh season at Southern California with a resounding victory over Illinois in the Rose Bowl. He has led the Trojans to two national championships and compiled a 76-14 record. The 14 defeats have been by an average of just 4.1 points.



Southern California was 11-2 this season and many observers felt that, had it not been for injuries, the Trojans might have vied for the national title. Carroll's .844 winning mark at Southern California is the best in the nation among active coaches with at least five seasons of experience.


Over the past few seasons, there has been rampant speculation that Carroll might be lured back to the NFL, but he has rebuffed all overtures to return to the pro game. Conventional wisdom is that Carroll would only consider an NFL job if he had full control over the football operation.

In his first NFL head coaching stint, Carroll lasted just one season with the Jets, taking the team to a 6-10 record in 1994. He coached the Patriots for three seasons, 1997-99, and was 28-23, with one division title and two playoff berths.


The Falcons suffered a bad experience this season with a coach hired from the college ranks, when Bobby Petrino, formerly of Louisville, resigned with three games remaining to fill the Arkansas vacancy. But unlike Petrino, who had been an NFL assistant for three seasons, Carroll has prior head coaching experience in the league and was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator for 12 years as well.

In the past, Carroll has listened to NFL interest from Miami, San Diego, San Francisco, Arizona and Houston.

Joe Schad covers college football for ESPN. Information from ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli was used in this report.

Being an Atlantan, i think this is a horrible idea. Blank is going for the biggest names possible. Look how good that did us with Petrino. Not to mention that Carroll probably can't coach in the pros. It's one thing to be the best recruit and use those players well. You have to be able to flat out coach on an even playing field like the NFL.

If Pete Carroll were to leave for the Pro game, I doubt it would be for the Falcons.

He was barely a .500 coach when he was in the NFL, but at least he understands the difference between college and pro.

The only reason that Carroll would leave the best program in college football is because the NCAA is about to hammer them with restrictions. There is something in the works in regard to Reggie Bush and the rest of the infractions.

It would be a surprise if he were to leave the Trojans.