Top 5 Moments of Pete Carroll's Career as USC Football Coach

#5. Being Hired as USC Head Football Coach
Carroll had finished a year without coaching in 2000 after being fired from his head coaching job with the New England Patriots. Carroll was not thought as a candidate for the position since he had not been involved with college football in 17 years and had not held any coaching position in a year. Signing that 5-year contract with the USC Trojans was one of the top 5 moments of his career.

#4. Beating U of M in the 2004 Rose Bowl & Winning Share of 2003 BCS Title
Carroll lost earlier in the 2003 season to California in a 3 overtime game. Carroll would lead USC to 8 consecutive wins to reach the Rose Bowl against the University of Michigan. The 28-14 win over Michigan led to a partial National Championship for USC, giving Carroll his first taste of true college football glory.

#3. Coaching Three Heisman Trophy Winners- (Carson Palmer 2002, Matt Leinart 2004, Reggie Bush 2005)
College coaches can take partial credit for their players success. Carroll has coached three Heisman Trophy winners, which is a big accomplishment for any college coach in an entire coaching career. The fact that Carroll had three players win it in a four year span is even more amazing. This is not just one great moment in Carroll's career, but three.

#2. 2003 Coaching Awards
As a coach that was highly criticized and fired in New England, spent a year out of coaching, and was not the first coach on USC's list of coaching candidates, nothing feels better than winning basically every coaching award in only his third season as the head coach of USC. After beating the University of Michigan in the Rose Bowl and winning a share of the 2003 BCS title, Coach Carroll won the following awards:

• 2003 American Football Coaches Association Division I-A Coach of the Year
• Home Depot National Coach of the Year
• Maxwell Club College Coach of the Year
• ESPN.com National Coach of the Year
• Pigskin Club of Washington D.C. Coach of the Year
• All-American Football Foundation Frank Leahy Co-Coach of the Year
• Pac-10 Co-Coach of the Year

#1. 2005 Orange Bowl & 2004 National Championship
The 2005 Orange Bowl was the best moment of Pete Carroll's successful coaching career. The 55-19 romp over the Oklahoma Sooners ended a perfect 13-0 season and gave the USC Trojans an outright BCS National Championship. Pete Carroll among other things, will always be known for the incredible 2004 undefeated season and BCS National Championship at USC.