The cynic in me thinks that Pete Carroll leaving USC for Seattle has less to do with his desire to coach in the pros and more to do with jumping ship before the storm hits.
Lets speculate for a minute… USC just self-imposed sanctions because of the O.J. Mayo violations. Those sanctions include forfeiting all victories and money from that season, forgoing postseason play, losing scholarships and curtailing its recruiting. That’s not just a slap on the wrist. Couple that with the Reggie Bush investigation that is ongoing, and penalties that could be imposed on the football program – or worse, an NCAA finding of lack of institutional control – and USC’s athletic department faces a pretty substantial hit.
Perhaps by self-imposing serious sanctions for basketball, USC is hoping that the sanctions placed on the football program are lessened. But I have a feeling that Carroll knows it won’t be that easy for the Trojans, and before the program he worked so hard to create is destroyed, he’d rather walk away and let someone else deal with the mess he left behind.
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