Seattle Seahawks’ Pete Carroll is the most popular coach in the NFL, according to an ESPN poll of more than 320 players.
The survey asked: “Which head coach would you most like to play for?” Carroll was the clear winner with 23 percent of the votes.
“I’m surprised by that,” Carroll said. “But, hey, free agency is a big deal to us. Maybe that can help us down the road.”
The survey was taken over a six-week stretch in November and December of last year.
Carroll received 72 votes. Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin finished second with 44 votes (or 14 percent). Denver Broncos’ John Fox was third with 7.8 percent, New York Jets’ Rex Ryan fourth at 7.2, and New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick and Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid tied for fifth at 6.9.
For those who believe Carroll is popular because he is soft on players, Seahawks linebacker and team captain Heath Farwell said that perception is false.
“If you make a mistake, he uses that as a teachable moment,” Farwell said. “Pete explains what you did wrong and how you can correct. If you do something wrong, he will say that’s not acceptable by the organization and explain why.
“We all make mistakes, but with Pete, it’s about learning from it. He’s not a talk-down-to-you or yell-at-you kind of coach.”
Carroll said he does not believe in dressing down players in public. Instead, he prefers to use other methods to motivate his players.
“It’s something that I think I’ve always done naturally, in respect to the players,” Carroll said. “There are plenty of ways to adjust their play or be critical without doing it in the public eye.
“But we’re open around here. We’re honest enough and straightforward enough that we can talk right to our guys about any issue in front of the rest of the team.”
Farwell said it is fun to play for Carroll, but the team still works hard.
“We practice hard on every play and we work as hard as any team, or harder,” Farwell said. “But it’s a fun team to play on because Pete’s always so positive. He’s the biggest cheerleader on the sidelines. He coaches with passion, and that’s why guys play hard for him.”