Pete Carroll's Winning Coaching Style

(CBS)  This story was first published on Dec. 14, 2008. It was updated on Sept. 17, 2009.

If your image of a football coach is of a tough guy with a permanent scowl on his face, then you haven't met Pete Carroll. He's the coach of the University Of Southern California Trojans, one of the top college teams in the nation. He's also upbeat, optimistic, and seems to have a permanent smile on his face. And no wonder: he has the highest winning percentage of any active coach in Division 1 football.

As Byron Pitts first reported last December, Carroll took a once great college team that had been on a 20-year slump and turned it around, winning two national championships. If you're a football fan, you may already know all that, but there's another side of Pete Carroll that you probably don't know. He's taken his coaching ability far beyond the football field, to a place you might never expect.

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He's been called the "Prince of L.A.," and Pete Carroll's "castle" is the L.A. Coliseum, the home field to the University of Southern California Trojans. It's where 93,000 loyal subjects bleed red and gold on Saturdays. It's a uniquely American ritual played out with more glitz, glamour and pageantry than almost anywhere else in the country.

"This is how we like it. This is how we want it to be. We don't want it any different than this. I want it as hyped and as big time as possible. And I want to show that we know how to deal with it and handle it and still play beautifully," Carroll explained.

The Trojans played well enough on the day 60 Minutes filmed there to beat up cross country rival Ohio State. They did it with a stifling defense, despite some unusual distractions.

"During the game, when it was still undecided, one of your players was posing for a picture with Arnold Schwarzenegger," Pitts pointed out.

"The Governator stepped in. I heard he was there. I didn't get to see him. Well, how do you turn down the governor? I got I got some power over it but not that much," Carroll joked.

"But it's during the game," Pitts remarked.

"Yeah, well I didn't know that happened. Who did it?" Carroll asked.

Make no mistake, it's that unconventional, laid back California style that's part of Pete Carroll's success. He's produced three Heisman trophy winners, 53 NFL players, and 33 All-Americans in just eight years. In the high stakes, high stress business of college football, where most coaches are screamers, perpetual drill sergeants forever in a bad mood, Pete Carroll says he is having the time of his life.

"One of your rivals, Charlie Weiss, the coach of Notre Dame, said on this program, on 60 Minutes that all coaches are miserable. You miserable?" Pitts asked.

"No. I never have been miserable," Carroll replied. "I keep thinking day to day, that somethin' good's just about happen, you know. And so, that mentality, whether I'm in a game or coachin' in the midst of the season, I don't know how to think otherwise. And that doesn't take you to misery."

It did take him to another win over Ohio State.

Pete Carroll's been a champion at USC, but it wasn't always that way. He worked as an assistant coach for 17 years before a less than impressive - some have even called disastrous - run as an NFL head coach.

Carroll acknowledged that he loved the NFL, but that they didn't love him back. "They didn't like me too much," he told Pitts.

He became head coach of the New York Jets in 1994. He was fired after one season. His reaction to losing his job?

"You know I got fired at the Jets, I was, 'This is the best thing that ever happened to me. That was my first thought,'" Carroll said. "I know how crazy that sounds, but that's what went through my mind, you know, and it's because I had three years left in my contract too. You know that has something to do with it."

Carroll tried again with the New England Patriots in 1997. He got fired there after he took a Super Bowl contender straight to the basement in three seasons.

He didn't look back, and he didn't give up. Instead he convinced the administration at USC to hire him as a college coach. Alumni and fans hated the idea.

"I was kinda like that big bomb that dropped here on you when I arrived. You know, the, I guess the emails and the faxes and all that stuff were burning up the machines here," Carroll recalled.

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[hawkeyes11a]

Way to go Coach Carroll. How many other division one coaches do you think gets that involved in there community without it being in their contracts. LA is a better place with him!!

[itdfactsu]

Pete Carroll''s

I''ve always been a big blue MICH fan but you won me over Pete, GO USC beat Penn State

Great job Coach, you''re not only a great coach but a great person as well

[w-jefferson]

I never cease to be amazed at the vitriolic comments expressed by some on the blogs toward USC, the Institution, its students and alumni when the subject is USC football or has any relationship to USC football. I guess in the case of Pete Carroll who, as the 60 Minute segment pointed out, is the most successful active Division 1 coach, it''s simply jealousy.

[tomtennis3]

to lovely1210 yes he is married

to byron pitts, u r onefantastic reporter and you got this story spot on! I have been a fan of Pete Carroll''s for a number of years. He is absolutely for real.

People wonder how he recruits so well: if you were a parent of a young athlete, wouldn''t you want this kid to learn from pete carroll for 4 years?

Thank you CBS!!!!!

[thehounddawg]

Your love-fest for Carroll is a disgrace. He is the highest ranking piece in the chess game of the University of Spoiled Children, running the biggest scam in college sports, flouting the rules of the impotent NCAA, and committing the most flagrant rules violations of any school in the country. sc influence has kept them from NCAA sanctions despite the single biggest scam in NCAA football annals - Reggie Bush and his family receiving more than $1/2 million in illegal benefits (free rent for more than a year in a luxury home, debt payoffs, all-expense paid trips and luxury hotels) have been well documented, and the subject of civil lawsuits, but no NCAA sanctions. Any other program and Bush would have had his Heisman taken away, sc stripped of his national championship (they only won ONE under Carroll, not two as they claim).

Combine this with the OJ Mayo''s flagrant violations in Tim Floyd''s dirty little basketball program, and sc should long ago have received the NCAA death penalty. Yet, Floyd and his thugs like Leonard Washington are allowed to continue their cheap shot assault on other players, risking serious injury to unsuspecting opponents.

CBS and 60 Minutes need to investigate the real sc sports department and not pull the wool over the eyes of the public. Take a look at the evidence, take a look at how sc has subverted the NCAA and curtailed any investigation of the NCAA violations and rampant criminal activity in the sc sports department.

[mseville]

GREAT job, Coach Carrol! May God bless you. Even BETTER job 60 minutes for this story AND for FINALLY giving an African American a shot at the Ed Bradley vacancy! Good job, Mr Pitts and I hope 60 minutes realizes we African Americans like to see ourselves represented in the media. There must be SOMEONE worthy of 60 minutes who looks like me. We watch 60 minutes also, you know.

[puentebr]

An excellent piece on your part. Coach Carroll has all the tools that coaches in this and age fail to have he can win, his players love to play for him and he pays back to the community in more ways than one. LA and USC are very lucky at a time when coaches solely care about wins and promoting themselves.I live in Louisiana, although I grew up in Los Angeles, and here coaches are Gods, but not in the fashion of Coach Pete. More power to him.

[cyberdogg1]

Pete Carroll''s humanitarian work is commendable, but I find his prowling late at night without a bodyguard and unarmed questionable at best and naive at worst.

Pete, I encourage you to learn concealed carry by taking firearm training class in carry and tactical and receive a concealed firearm license. Because you''re wealthy and connected with impeccable reputation, the process will be much easier in L.A. County. Lose anti-gun attitude because it doesn''t help prepare you for the unforeseeable. Take self-protection seriously.

Ask your friends who are law enforcement officers to give you pointers.

Sincerely, Utah residential concealed carry permit holder.

[shabba1705]

I just want to say thanks to Mr Carroll for giving back to society.Mr Carroll your story is very amazing,your story motivate me to do more for for the kids in my community.This is the most wonderful story,I read and seen in awhile.I want to say thanks to CBS,for wonderful story.Mr Carroll,I hope the Lord keep on blessing you to do his work.Shabbakc

Check out the "A Better LA" website at www.abetterla.org.