Being almost exactly the same age as Pete, I can tell you that he is totally aware of being old. However, he is a master of football, and has been doing it all his life. So coaching comes as easy as breathing. When my father was in his eighties, we asked a doctor if my father would soon lose his abilities to play bridge, which he was a master of, and the doctor said my father would likely retain his card playing ability till very near the end. That was about age 94. He was probably still better than me, but he wasn't at full capacity. At 90, he was still winning tournaments.
Pete may continue coaching for another 5 to 10 years unless illness forces him out before then. By about eighty, he might consider some kind of coach emeritus status. Some kind of an outside consultant position maybe? A couple of SB's? Three? A man like that might not want to do the media thing, so I would guess he's gonna have to be fired if we want him gone any time soon. And that's cool with me.
Pete's signed through 2025 and it wouldn't surprise me if the Hawks were a Super Bowl team and Pete went out on top in that last year of his contract. Schnieder is signed through 2027.
There's really only one man that check's every box on Denver's (and Russell Wilson's) wishlist and that's Sean Payton.
It will take a dramatic condition to drive Pete to quit coaching the Seahawks. New ownership pushing Pete's out. The worst record in the league, making Pete realize he has broken his mantra and another leader is needed. Health reasons demand Pete spends more time caring for himself or a sick family member. The last and quickest condition is if Seahawks ownership were willing to hire Nate Carroll or Brennan Carroll as there new head coach.
I think Pete made his case to be the head coach when in his first season he won a playoff game. I don't know how many first year coaches have ever done that but that has to be pretty special, especially considering the decline of the team prior to that. If he can get the team into the playoffs this year I would bet the head coach job is his as long as he wants it. I don't see him stepping down very soon. Not only was he the most positive person after this last loss, he started the season that way. I also don't see him in a front office job. I don't think he is an indoor type. When he is done with the Seahawks he will probably find a high school team to coach.
Pete has a philosophy of how he wants to run things and as long as he has the freedom to do that then I think he could remain indefinitely even beyond his current contract. But if what people have surmised as true that JS has been given priority during the draft process then I think that Pete might be giving consideration to retiring.
As people get older they tend to go in one of two ways and I think PC will take the second path. The first group burn out before they can retire and just put in their time until they can call it a career, the second group love their work and totally identify with their job and have to be drug kicking and screaming out the door. I think when the time comes, PC will have to promoted to a vice president in charge of nothing position and replaced on field. I'm thinking three more years as the Head Coach, maybe one more deep playoff run and a SuperBowl at best.
Knowing the positive character that Pete C lives by; he will only leave or retire on a winning season. Who knows, he may decide to stick around just long enough to break Belachick's most winning Coach record in the NFL ??
So many great comments. I do agree with those who believe Pete has a plan. Don’t think he’s going to just wake up one morning and say “that’s it, no more”. Wouldn’t be characteristic of “always compete”. He’s likely competing for “best ever retirement from football” in fact. Perhaps has unmet goals too, like another Super Bowl win. And perhaps Jody Allen’s plan for selling the team also figures into his timeline. Whatever it is though, I think Pete has a plan and is going to compete for it to be impressive.
I think we're nearing the end, and that this season is the beginning of the end. I envision a pre-trade meeting between Pete, John and Jody where they mapped out the path back to the Super Bowl. That path likely has a 3-5 year timeframe and we're just getting to the end of year 1. Team building tends to be cyclical and I believe Pete will see us through this next cycle at least until it's success or failure is determined. I also think it is in everyone's best interest if Pete is not part of the succession plan.
..... I wanted to say if Geno can ball out great it came out can't and ruined what I meant. I want Seattle in the playoffs no matter what. Why because that's what you play for. Cmon Geno sounds like Tyler is back too bad about Uncle Will.
Great article (I just started reading your articles). In his book "Win Forever" PC the writer came across much like PC the interviewee: always positive, always on point, and hence, somewhat distant. When will PC throw in the towel? I think he will find his successor and realize that he is old (he knows this - he's positive, but not blind). He'll see how slow/tired he is in comparison and his objective mind (his "distant" side) will ask if he is really providing a competitive edge for the team. The franchise will then move him to "head pooh-bah" at his request and he can watch games sans headset. He deserves this. The team (of which he helped build) deserves this. It is the only fitting end for all.
Well, what a question. At first I didn't like Pete as a hire because I thought he was fake. That changed after a couple of months. The team was getting better, but quarterback was a problem. Matt Hasselbeck was past his prime but did help for a year. We are at that same point now with two better quarterbacks. If Geno can't ball out and win the last two great but, Pete won't pay big. I think in Pete' mind this is a freshman class he wants to see through to the end. Don't be surprised if there are only a few Seahawks left three years from now. Pete will have replaced everybody who needs to be, with younger better players. This is when Pete can coach, when he can teach to open ears not guys who have more money than him. After the Russell Wilson trade he deserves to call his shot ! He will when he is at or close to the top .
We are beyond lucky to have a coach like Pete. For all the bad play challenges, questionable clock management, and sticking with "his guys" on the staff longer than I wanted; he does a few things as well as anyone. Any they're the important things. His teams don't quit. He gets the guys fired up week after week, even during losing stretches. He treats players with respect and lets them be their own men. And he imparts this to everyone in the organization and it shows. When Micheal Bennett, Sherm, Earl and others forgot rule #1, they were gone. I was angry at the time that we couldn't get good/any compensation for them but he wasn't even willing to do a sign and trade for players who didn't protect the team.
Not many people believed Pete when he said he felt great about Smith and Lock. Pete clearly did though. When they signed Flynn to a big contract and he was outplayed in practice and the preseason by Wilson, Pete chose the better player. When Russell started having his agent drop hints to the media, he traded him while his value was still higher than his ability. And I believe that Pete really loved Russ. But he couldn't have a spoiled star player who would get upset if they scouted freaking Mahomes and Allen. It wasn't *all* personal. 3 players and 4 high picks were worth more. What I'd give to have him or John write a tell-all when this is all over. If I live long enough to still be around when it's over!
Pete subscribes to having life philosophies. I haven’t read Win Forever, but in Angela Duckworths “Grit”, I think he describes one of his philosophies along the lines of “Do things better than they’ve ever been done before.” And I would guess that someone with that level of life planning as described in grit, likely has an end date in mind or a specific goal that they’re trying to achieve.
Being almost exactly the same age as Pete, I can tell you that he is totally aware of being old. However, he is a master of football, and has been doing it all his life. So coaching comes as easy as breathing. When my father was in his eighties, we asked a doctor if my father would soon lose his abilities to play bridge, which he was a master of, and the doctor said my father would likely retain his card playing ability till very near the end. That was about age 94. He was probably still better than me, but he wasn't at full capacity. At 90, he was still winning tournaments.
Pete may continue coaching for another 5 to 10 years unless illness forces him out before then. By about eighty, he might consider some kind of coach emeritus status. Some kind of an outside consultant position maybe? A couple of SB's? Three? A man like that might not want to do the media thing, so I would guess he's gonna have to be fired if we want him gone any time soon. And that's cool with me.
Pete's signed through 2025 and it wouldn't surprise me if the Hawks were a Super Bowl team and Pete went out on top in that last year of his contract. Schnieder is signed through 2027.
There's really only one man that check's every box on Denver's (and Russell Wilson's) wishlist and that's Sean Payton.
It will take a dramatic condition to drive Pete to quit coaching the Seahawks. New ownership pushing Pete's out. The worst record in the league, making Pete realize he has broken his mantra and another leader is needed. Health reasons demand Pete spends more time caring for himself or a sick family member. The last and quickest condition is if Seahawks ownership were willing to hire Nate Carroll or Brennan Carroll as there new head coach.
I think Pete made his case to be the head coach when in his first season he won a playoff game. I don't know how many first year coaches have ever done that but that has to be pretty special, especially considering the decline of the team prior to that. If he can get the team into the playoffs this year I would bet the head coach job is his as long as he wants it. I don't see him stepping down very soon. Not only was he the most positive person after this last loss, he started the season that way. I also don't see him in a front office job. I don't think he is an indoor type. When he is done with the Seahawks he will probably find a high school team to coach.
" Always compete Pete " will retire when he believes he can no longer compete. I don't see that happening in the near future.
He brought a team most of the " Talking Heads" thought would be 4 and 13 last place finish in the NFC
west to a 8 and 9 or a 9 and 8 record in a rebuilding year.
That's great coaching!!!
That is good coaching
Pete has a philosophy of how he wants to run things and as long as he has the freedom to do that then I think he could remain indefinitely even beyond his current contract. But if what people have surmised as true that JS has been given priority during the draft process then I think that Pete might be giving consideration to retiring.
As people get older they tend to go in one of two ways and I think PC will take the second path. The first group burn out before they can retire and just put in their time until they can call it a career, the second group love their work and totally identify with their job and have to be drug kicking and screaming out the door. I think when the time comes, PC will have to promoted to a vice president in charge of nothing position and replaced on field. I'm thinking three more years as the Head Coach, maybe one more deep playoff run and a SuperBowl at best.
Knowing the positive character that Pete C lives by; he will only leave or retire on a winning season. Who knows, he may decide to stick around just long enough to break Belachick's most winning Coach record in the NFL ??
So many great comments. I do agree with those who believe Pete has a plan. Don’t think he’s going to just wake up one morning and say “that’s it, no more”. Wouldn’t be characteristic of “always compete”. He’s likely competing for “best ever retirement from football” in fact. Perhaps has unmet goals too, like another Super Bowl win. And perhaps Jody Allen’s plan for selling the team also figures into his timeline. Whatever it is though, I think Pete has a plan and is going to compete for it to be impressive.
I think we're nearing the end, and that this season is the beginning of the end. I envision a pre-trade meeting between Pete, John and Jody where they mapped out the path back to the Super Bowl. That path likely has a 3-5 year timeframe and we're just getting to the end of year 1. Team building tends to be cyclical and I believe Pete will see us through this next cycle at least until it's success or failure is determined. I also think it is in everyone's best interest if Pete is not part of the succession plan.
..... I wanted to say if Geno can ball out great it came out can't and ruined what I meant. I want Seattle in the playoffs no matter what. Why because that's what you play for. Cmon Geno sounds like Tyler is back too bad about Uncle Will.
Great article (I just started reading your articles). In his book "Win Forever" PC the writer came across much like PC the interviewee: always positive, always on point, and hence, somewhat distant. When will PC throw in the towel? I think he will find his successor and realize that he is old (he knows this - he's positive, but not blind). He'll see how slow/tired he is in comparison and his objective mind (his "distant" side) will ask if he is really providing a competitive edge for the team. The franchise will then move him to "head pooh-bah" at his request and he can watch games sans headset. He deserves this. The team (of which he helped build) deserves this. It is the only fitting end for all.
Well, what a question. At first I didn't like Pete as a hire because I thought he was fake. That changed after a couple of months. The team was getting better, but quarterback was a problem. Matt Hasselbeck was past his prime but did help for a year. We are at that same point now with two better quarterbacks. If Geno can't ball out and win the last two great but, Pete won't pay big. I think in Pete' mind this is a freshman class he wants to see through to the end. Don't be surprised if there are only a few Seahawks left three years from now. Pete will have replaced everybody who needs to be, with younger better players. This is when Pete can coach, when he can teach to open ears not guys who have more money than him. After the Russell Wilson trade he deserves to call his shot ! He will when he is at or close to the top .
We are beyond lucky to have a coach like Pete. For all the bad play challenges, questionable clock management, and sticking with "his guys" on the staff longer than I wanted; he does a few things as well as anyone. Any they're the important things. His teams don't quit. He gets the guys fired up week after week, even during losing stretches. He treats players with respect and lets them be their own men. And he imparts this to everyone in the organization and it shows. When Micheal Bennett, Sherm, Earl and others forgot rule #1, they were gone. I was angry at the time that we couldn't get good/any compensation for them but he wasn't even willing to do a sign and trade for players who didn't protect the team.
Not many people believed Pete when he said he felt great about Smith and Lock. Pete clearly did though. When they signed Flynn to a big contract and he was outplayed in practice and the preseason by Wilson, Pete chose the better player. When Russell started having his agent drop hints to the media, he traded him while his value was still higher than his ability. And I believe that Pete really loved Russ. But he couldn't have a spoiled star player who would get upset if they scouted freaking Mahomes and Allen. It wasn't *all* personal. 3 players and 4 high picks were worth more. What I'd give to have him or John write a tell-all when this is all over. If I live long enough to still be around when it's over!
Given his ANCIENT history of being fired,
I would think that he would want to out on his own terms AND
leaving the SeaHawks organization in a good position to “Always Compete”
Pete subscribes to having life philosophies. I haven’t read Win Forever, but in Angela Duckworths “Grit”, I think he describes one of his philosophies along the lines of “Do things better than they’ve ever been done before.” And I would guess that someone with that level of life planning as described in grit, likely has an end date in mind or a specific goal that they’re trying to achieve.