Pete Carroll tied Mike Holmgren for 17th-most wins by a coach in NFL history
Seahawks most recent victory not only got them into playoffs, it also tied two most-successful coaches with one another in wins
There was a lot at stake in the last two weeks of the season for the Seattle Seahawks, but overlooked is what was on the line for the two best head coaches that the franchise has ever hired.
By winning his last two games of the season, Pete Carroll not only turned the Seahawks around from 7-8 to 9-8 to post his 10th winning season in the last 11 years. And he didn’t just help Seattle win the two games necessary to climb over the Detroit Lions for the NFC’s last playoff spot, giving Carroll 10 postseason appearances since being hired by the Seahawks in 2010.
The third mission accomplished by Pete Carroll, which I have not seen mentioned anywhere else, is that he guarantees that even if this were his last season in Seattle that he has tied for the 17th-most wins by a head coach in NFL history. The coach who he is tied with?
Former Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren.
Carroll has tied Holmgren with 161 career NFL victories. Holmgren went 75-37 with the Green Bay Packers and 86-74 with the Seahawks for a total record of 161-111. Carroll has gone 128-81-1 with the Seattle Seahawks, 27-21 with the New England Patriots, and 6-10 with the New York Jets for a total record of 161-112-1.
Carroll has coached two additional games in the same number of seasons because the NFL added a 17th game in 2021. His career winning percentage (.589) is a hair below Holmgren (.592).
Holmgren went 13-11 in the postseason over 17 years, reaching the Super Bowl three times, winning once. Carroll has gone 11-10 in the postseason over 17 years, reaching the Super Bowl twice and winning once. If Seattle reaches the NFC Championship game and loses, Carroll will also finish with the exact same postseason record after 17 years that Holmgren had after 17 years.
Of course, Pete Carroll hopes that the Seahawks make it to the NFC Championship game…and win.