Legendary former USC football coach will reportedly return to the NFL

A former National Championship-winning coach for the University of Southern California is taking his talents back to the NFL.

Pete Carroll, who coached the Trojans for nine seasons, winning two straight titles in 2003 and 2004, has agreed to terms to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The hiring comes after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, former head coach at Long Beach Poly and longtime NFL linebacker, who coached just one full season.

Carroll will turn 74 during Week 2 of the upcoming NFL season. He will become the oldest head coach in league history.

According to Schefter, his deal with the Raiders is for three seasons, with a team option for a fourth.

Las Vegas will be Carroll’s fourth NFL head coaching gig. He was fired from the New York Jets after just one season in 1994 and coached three years for the New England Patriots from 1997 to 1999, just before the franchise’s dynasty led by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.

He then took over USC from 2001 to 2009, coaching legends like Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. Just last week, USC welcomed Carroll back to teach a class at the Marshall School of Business.

Carroll’s longest coaching stint was his 14 seasons as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, starting in 2010. The team made the playoffs 10 times during that time frame, winning the Super Bowl in 2013 and falling just a yard shy of a repeat the following year.