Former USC wide receiver and Seahawks assistant marvels at Pete Carroll's longevity

USA Today

2 days ago

It has now been more than 15 years since Pete Carroll left USC. Despite being nearly 74 years old, however, the head coach is still at the top of his game a decade and a half later. This fall, Carroll will enter his first season as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, looking to turn around a franchise that has not had much success in several decades. On Wednesday, The Athletic ran a profile of Carroll and how he continues to thrive despite his age. The story included a fascinating quote from a wide receiver who played for Carroll at USC before going on to serve as his right-hand man with the Seattle Seahawks for over a decade.
'Ben Malcolmson played for Carroll at USC and later served as his assistant for over a decade with the Seahawks,' they wrote. 'He's seen Carroll build and reaffirm team culture repeatedly. Age hasn't changed his approach.
'Early in his Seahawks tenure, Carroll buzzed around the building with the same energy level as a kid at recess. Malcolmson figured it was due to all the Mountain Dew he drank. Years later, Carroll switched his diet, cutting down on unhealthy foods, caffeine and sugar.
''I think he had more energy after that,' Malcolmson said recently.
'It wasn't the Mountain Dew.
''He doesn't believe he's got to get old,' Malcolmson said. 'He's like Benjamin Button.''
More than two decades after winning back-to-back national championships at USC, Carroll is still coaching with the same energy that he has had his entire career. Regardless of how his tenure in Las Vegas goes, that in itself is quite impressive.