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Why Pete Carroll succeeded and Charlie Weis has not (continued)
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Carroll has more college coaching experience -- When Notre Dame hired Weis in 2004, his only previous experience on the collegiate level was a four year stint at the University of South Carolina, which was followed by a job as a high school head coach in New Jersey. (Weis' bio doesn't specify what type of assistant he was at South Carolina, so it's safe to assume it was pretty low on the totem pole.)
Carroll spent ten years in college, rising through the ranks to become the defensive coordinator at N.C. State before making the jump to the NFL. During that time, he was recruiting players, monitoring their academic progress and developing them into solid college football players. He was also building relationships with other assistants who knew how to do the same, such as Pat Ruel, whom he would eventually hire at USC.
He also learned about the importance of embracing a school's tradition and dealing with its alumni, two things he's done much better than Weis has. Carroll always acknowledges the tradition USC, opens his practices to fans and welcomes back former players, even to the point that current pariah O.J. Simpson felt comfortable enough to attend a practice when USC was preparing for the 2003 Orange Bowl in Simpson's hometown of Miami.
Unlike Carroll, Weis has earned a reputation for brushing off former Notre Dame players not named Montana or Theismann. His treatment of Irish alumni has also raised questions about whether he has the personality to be a college coach, and making enemies with that group has only contributed to his current lack of job security.
Carroll has a unique coaching philosophy -- Unlike most football coaches, Carroll doesn't motivate his players through traditional means. His coaching philosophy has been heavily influenced by W. Tim Gallwey's The Inner Game of Tennis, a book that suggests athletes reach their peak performance when they ignore pressure and let their natural abilities take over. Carroll has done his best to alleviate that pressure that his players face, freeing them up from worrying about making mistakes to allow them play to the best of their ability.
An example is former Trojan wide receiver Mike Williams. In his first two games at USC, Williams had 11 catches for 147 yards but dropped four passes in his third game, a disappointing 27-20 loss at Kansas State. Williams was clearly feeling the pressure of being the team's go-to receiver, and instead of getting on him about his failures, the coaching staff reinforced the high level of confidence they had in him to succeed. The next week against Oregon State, he bounced back and caught two touchdowns en route to a season that would earn him freshman All-American honors.
Carroll doesn't take himself too seriously -- Like Parcells and Belichick, Weis is all business. Carroll makes sure his teams have fun, inviting special guests like USC alum Will Ferrell to spice up practices and playing practical jokes on his players in an effort to relieve pressure and distract them from the grind of the college football season. His willingness to lighten things up makes USC that much more attractive to prospective recruits and shows that he understands and can relate to his players.
Carroll never claimed to be a genius -- While Weis' accomplishments as New England's offensive coordinator are impressive, the revelation that the Patriots were taping their opponents' defensive signals casts doubt on just how much of an "offensive genius" Weis really is. Say what you will about Carroll's 33-31 record in the NFL, but at least he achieved it the old fashioned way: he earned it.
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