Tom Brady leans on championship pedigree as Raiders hire Pete Carroll: Best memes, tweets

The Las Vegas Raiders have officially hired their first head coach of the Tom Brady era.

Pete Carroll, the 73-year-old defensive maestro with a Super Bowl and a college football championship under his belt, will take over in Sin City. He replaces Antonio Pierce, who went 4-13 in his only season as the Raiders' head coach.

Carroll brings tremendous pedigree to the Raiders organization, and it's no surprise that Tom Brady, leading the coaching search as a new minority owner, would prioritize a history of winning at the highest level. The famous orchestrator of Seattle's Legion of Boom, Carroll has 18 years of NFL head coaching experience under his belt, as well as a successful stint in the college ranks at USC.

With a record of 291-170 in the NFL, Carroll will join the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. He's on the shortlist of greatest coaches of this generation. He should also establish a much higher baseline for success in Las Vegas, bringing a battle-tested defensive scheme to a roster with legitimate talent on that side of the football.

On the other hand, it's fair to wonder if a four-win team at the beginning of a rebuild should hire a 73-year-old who, a week ago, was ready to teach classes at USC. Carroll's not going to have the longest runway to get this organization off the ground.

The social media reactions were, as always, pure gold.

Raiders hire Pete Carroll in not-so-shocking pivot from inexperienced Antonio Pierce

This is great content, no doubt. The Raiders probably should've opted for a younger coach to grow alongside this team, but Carroll is undeniably a good coach. He relates to his players and builds strong locker rooms. And, most importantly, he's a genuinely totemic defensive mind. The league continues to evolve with each passing season, but Carroll's scheme should stand the test of time.

It will be interesting to see how the Raiders approach the current quarterback vacancy with Carroll at the helm. His former Seahawks collaborator Russell Wilson is, notably, a free agent. Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins are other proven vets about to hit the open market. The Raiders aren't in position for a top draft pick at the position and, well, I'm skeptical that Pete Carroll wants to spend his limited remaining time on an NFL sideline workshopping a Gardner Minshew offense.

As for the defense, one has to think this signing excites the likes of Maxx Crosby, who has been hinting at his impatience all winter. Las Vegas' offense is a complete mess, but there are legitimate foundational pieces on defense. If the Raiders can strike in free agency and put a solid roster in front of him, there's no reason to think Carroll can't stack a few extra wins, even in the extremely tough AFC West.

Carroll now joins a division with Andy Reid, Sean Payton, and his old pal Jim Harbaugh, which is an absurdly stacked cast of all-time great coaches. Carroll has to most to prove at this point in his career, and again, the Raiders will probably reject the inherent shortsightedness of this hire. But, at the same time, Carroll will quickly build a culture and bring a respectability to the organization that did not exist a few weeks ago.

This hire has Tom Brady written all over it. Now, let's see how Las Vegas handles the next wave of changes.