When Pete Carroll was announced as the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, it came as a surprise to many across the league.
The Raiders were not one of the marquee coaching openings of the last cycle. They finished the previous season with only four wins, had no franchise quarterback on the roster and had a roster with only Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers as bankable assets. With Carroll now on board, however, the Raiders hope to build a foundation for long-term success that they have desperately needed.
As it turns out, the Raiders have one person to thank when it comes to Carroll coming aboard: minority owner Tom Brady.
Helping the Raiders land Carroll as been one of Brady’s biggest moves this offseason.
On an appearance on Brock & Salk from Seattle Sports, Carroll cited Brady as one of the biggest factors of his decision to take the Raiders job.
“When Tom came on board here it changed my outlook to come here,” Carroll said. “I thought that would be one of the great opportunities of all time, to have his presence. His presence is strong. [Raiders general manager] John Spytek and him go back a ton of years and Johnny holds him in the highest regard. So we’re trying to infuse Tom’s mentality, we’re trying to bring it into the organization, because it’s so good and so unique and so one of a kind, I think it helps us to be a one-of-a-kind franchise.”
Since being officially named minority owner of the Raiders in October, the Raiders have had zero issue allowing Brady to use his influence to help the team make key decisions.
Despite having to balance his responsibilities as minority owner with his broadcasting duties for Fox Sports, Brady has managed to build a strong regime in Las Vegas. Along with Carroll, Brady was instrumental in bringing Spytek to the Raiders from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carroll and Spytek have used the last few months to implement a clear vision for the Raiders, and Brady has offered his input on multiple occasions.
“We’re phone buddies,” Carroll mentioned. “We’ve talked a ton of times. Talking philosophy with Tom, you can imagine what a thrill it is. He’s the all-time competitor. It’s not just how he played, it’s how he lives and how he sees the world and attacks every opportunity that he has. We’re so eye-to-eye on that, it’s been a blast. That’s really been fun. The challenge of it is to bring that mentality and connect it to an entire franchise.”
With Carroll, Spytek and a slew of major additions to the roster, the Raiders are hoping this is the group that can push them in the right direction.
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