Jason Kidd is the latest NBA coach to make Seattle trip to learn from Pete Carroll
Kidd, Erik Spoelstra and Steve Kerr have gone to Carroll for coaching advice
By
Will Brinson
•
2 min read
Pete Carroll is a mentor for many a coach on his staff as well as many a player on his roster. But he's also helping out a different demographic: NBA coaches.
The Seahawks coach recently had Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd to the Seattle facilities for OTAs and put on a coaching clinic of sorts.
"He had OTAs [organized team activities], which was pretty impressive, because he had us involved in all the meetings," Kidd said. "Just the energy of Pete and the culture he built up there is pretty special."
Carroll's mantra in Seattle has been "compete" -- his tenure has resulted in a remarkable run for the previously downtrodden Seahawks. After dominating at USC, Carroll brought his infectious style to Seattle and helped build a dominant defense with a slew of All-Pro players (Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas to name a pair) and a powerful run-oriented offense with Russell Wilson at the helm.
More than anything else, Carroll and GM John Schneider have been willing to take chances, to wisely gamble on high-upside roster moves and to utilize against-the-grain methods of player acquisition in order to differentiate themselves from the normally staid NFL.
It's called a copy-cat league for a reason and the Seahawks try to be ahead of the curve at most turns.
Their willingness to think outside the box has attracted interest from the sport of basketball, with Kidd saying Carroll's gotten visits from other NBA coaches as well.
"He was saying for whatever reason, basketball [coaches] are coming to visit me," Kidd said. "And I can see why. The energy he gives -- and you can feel the energy he gives when you walk in that building at 7:30 [a.m.] -- it's a special place."
In addition to Kidd, Carroll's been visited by Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat and Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors.
Not bad company to keep: Spo won a pair of rings while coaching LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Co., and successfully managed a whole bunch of egos in the process. Kerr just wrapped up the greatest regular season in NBA history a year after winning an NBA title in his first season as Warriors coach.
These aren't guys who are entirely desperate for advice. But they're also clearly people who are constantly looking to get better at their vocation. And they see Carroll as a potential mentor who can provide advice about fostering a positive work environment and helping them grow as coaches.
