Pete Carroll Fostering Competition in Seattle
With his new head coaching job for the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks, former USC head coach Pete Carroll is heavily promoting his favourite concept: competition.
Carroll has recently signed away backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst from the San Diego Chargers, and plans to have him directly competing with current quarterback Matt Hasselbeck for the Seahawks starting job. Carroll thinks this will be significant, even if Whitehurst sees no actual snaps on the field.
At a recent appearance on the ESPN’s ‘Mike and Mike,’ Carroll explained his decision. He stated: "The central theme in this program is competition and we started right with the quarterback spot, to challenge Matt [Hasselbeck] to do his best."
Carroll’s approach is supremely sound, but a large departure from the set up the Seahawks had beforehand. Under coach Mike Holmgren, there was almost no competition for Hasselbeck’s spot. The closest was Trent Dilfer in 2002, but that was in name only.
Holmgren’s approach is not to be discounted, clarity at the quarterback position can also help a player excel, and at the time Hasselbeck deserved it. Hasselbeck has finished the last three of his four seasons with below-average results and is turning 35 at the start of the season.
The Seattle Seahawks are a very different franchise now than during Hasselbeck’s glory days and Carroll’s competitive mantra could be a much needed change. Complacency has perhaps stunted Hasselbeck’s growth as a player. By fostering competition with Whitehurst, Hasselbeck will either get better, or be replaced by someone who is better.
Hasselbeck is intent on retaining his position and according to Carroll: "Matt has had a great off-season."
Carroll’s scheme is very reminiscent of what Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt did in regards to veteran quarterback Kurt Warner at the beginning of the 2008 season. Whisenhunt initially named young quarterback Matt Leinart as his starter even though Warner had more touchdown passes than any other NFL quarterback over the final eight games of the previous season.
The decision resulted in Warner working hard to show the Cardinals’ coaching staff that he could manage the ball in a slightly safer manner. Eventually, he regained the starting spot again and Whisenhunt allowed him to gradually run a more open offence.
Arizona then won 23 games, counting play-offs, in 2008 and 2009. In fact, Whisenhunt’s decision is one of the most underrated yet successful examples of team management seen in modern football.
Realistically, Hasselbeck is not going to put up Kurt Warner-like numbers, but an improvement is still an improvement. Hasselbeck does not have access to an elite receiver corps like Warner did and Seattle is obviously not a Super Bowl contender.
Seattle has clearly been making efforts to establish a strong passing game though. They used a second-round pick on Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate in this year’s draft and signed T.J. Houshmandzadeh at the start of 2009.
Unlike young players, veterans often require competition rather than nurture to play at their maximum potential. By having to fight for his job, Hasselbeck will start fighting a little more on the field. Considering he had only three touchdown passes to nine interceptions over the final three games of last season, it seems that Hasselbeck could use a little more fight in him.
This also bodes well for Whitehurst. Being a backup in San Diego essentially means no chance of playing unless star quarterback Phillip Rivers somehow gets injured, and even then Billy Volek was the favourite No. 2. Here Whitehurst can try to actually prove himself, and Carroll hopes that he does so while lighting a fire under Hasselbeck.
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