[Next post will be of Jeremy Fowler's...stay tuned!] College football faceoff: Pete Carroll proves he's the best coach in many ways Andrea Adelson | From the Press Box12:27 AM EDT, May 3, 2009 *U*rban Meyer might be the hottest coach in America right now. But Pete Carroll<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/entertainment/pete-carroll-PECLB005395.topic>is the best coach in America.
Blasphemy you say, Gator Nation? I present facts and stats too compelling to ignore. Let's start at the beginning. It is hard to believe Carroll was the fourth choice to take over a floundering Southern California program in 2001, considering everything he has done to bring this program back to national prominence. When Carroll became coach, USC was coming off a 5-7 season. Its last Rose Bowl<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/sports/football/rose-bowl-game-EVSPR00003556.topic>appearance had come in 1995. Its last national title? 1978. Carroll had much work to do with the program in complete disarray. When Meyer came to UF in 2004, the Gators were coming off the inept coaching of Ron Zook, yes. But UF had a more recent history of winning and gobs of talent — so much talent that Meyer won his first national title mostly with Zook-era leftovers. Carroll won back-to-back national titles in 2003 and 2004, then played for another in 2005 with players he recruited himself, no traces of former coach Paul Hackett to be found. Not even Meyer has won back-to-back-titles. Carroll's teams have won at least 11 games in each of the past seven seasons, an NCAA<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/sports/national-collegiate-athletic-association-OREDU0000001.topic>record, and finished in the AP Top 4 in each of those seasons. Oh, and his teams have won seven straight Pac-10 titles and appeared in an NCAA record seven straight BCS bowls. Complain about the losses he has had the last several years to inferior opponents, and we can make the same argument about Meyer (Ole Miss in 2008, Auburn in 2007, South Carolina in 2005 to name three). Tout the superiority of the SEC<http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/economy-business-finance/market-exchange/securities/sec-ORGOV000050.topic>, but the Pac-10 went 5-0 in bowl games last season. Let's face it: Carroll has done more to put USC back on the national map. He simply is the best coach around. Andrea Adelson can be reached at [email protected]. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
