Pete Carroll ‘thrilled’ Steve Sarkisian will be USC’s head coach

After his team thumped the New Orleans Saints on Monday night, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll voiced his enthusiasm for USC’s hiring of Steve Sarkisian. As you probably recall, Sarkisian served as an assistant head coach and an offensive coordinator under Carroll when Carroll was the head coach of the Trojans.

Carroll said he was excited that Sarkisian will have the opportunity to realize a lifelong dream, but he also complimented the excellent work Ed Orgeron did this past year:

"I’m thrilled for him. This is a life-long dream for him. As a kid that grew up in Southern California, there’s no coach that they could have hired that understands L.A. better and what that’s all about. That’s my opinion. He has a tremendous sense for the area and the schools and the coaches and the traditions and all of that. It’s why it was such a big deal for him to get this opportunity. He had a great time here in Washington. He loved it and did a great job with them, but it’s just a chance to go home and do it at a great university. There’s  a number of guys that could have got the job and done a great job with it, but I think Sark will do an extraordinary job. I’d like to say this, too. Eddie Orgeron did an incredible job. I thought it was one of the most incredible illustrations of leadership and direction and an amazing ability to turn something like that. I’m so impressed with what he did.  It’s unfortunate that he didn’t get the job, but there’s only one spot there. So I’m sure Eddie is going to do something great, too (Coaching Search)."

Sarkisian, who led the Washington Huskies to a 34-29 record during his stint there, officially accepted the USC job today.

[Source: Coaching Search]