2026 New NFL Head Coach Hire Grades

 I did this two years ago, when the Seahawks were in the market for a head coach for the first time in 14 years, so I thought I'd do it again with so many openings this off-season.  I'll go in order of date hired, and grade each from F to A+.  I just went back and re-graded the hirings from two years ago.  Some, like Macdonald and Morris, I was spot on about.  Others, like Canales and Callahan, I was very wrong about.  So it'll be interesting to see what I get right or wrong a few years from now.  

Giants hire John Harbaugh: B+
It's funny, I gave his brother's team an "A" for hiring him two years ago.  I just feel that in this situation, success is not guaranteed.  Harbaugh was treading water in Baltimore, and his players lost faith in him.  Why should we think he can turn around a struggling Giants organization?  Sure, he'll be better than Daboll as a head coach overall, but New York can be a nasty sports city, and any struggles will be harped on early.  But, what else is New York going to do?  This is their best bet.

Falcons hire Kevin Stefanski: B
Stefanski is a solid coach.  He made the most of what he was given in Cleveland.  Unfortunately for him, he goes from one mess of a QB room to another.  Can he get the most out of Michael Penix?  We know he'll be able to get good seasons out of Bijan, Pitts, and Drake London.  Just need to have a solid QB season, and of course, improve the defense.  The NFC South is potentially wide open, so it's anyone's for the taking.

Dolphins hire Jeff Hafley: D+
I feel like D+ might even be too nice.  Hafley is an uninspiring choice, and it's almost guaranteed that the Dolphins' offense is going to struggle in 2026, whoever the QB is.  They might have an above-average defense, but try telling that to the Jets.  I will be very surprised if Hafley lasts more than three seasons, if two.  He may keep them fairly competitive, but with the Patriots having returned to being competitive, the Bills having Josh Allen and a good roster, and the Jets potentially on their way up, the Fins could be in big trouble the next few years.

Titans hire Robert Saleh: C-
I'll give the Titans this: some defensive coaches do well on a second or third stint.  Here are a list of defensive-minded coaches who didn't have success until their second or third team: Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, and to some extent, Mike Vrabel.  Is Saleh one of those guys, though?  I'd have to say probably not.  Saleh already struggled in New York, and now he is tasked with turning around a bottom-feeder in Tennessee.  How is Cam Ward expected to succeed?  He'll need a great OC to help him, and even if they get one, he may get snatched away in a year or two to become a head coach.  Really needed an offensive coach here.  

Ravens hire Jesse Minter: B-
I guess this shows the Ravens wish they had kept Macdonald and promoted from within, but too late for that.  I'm not entirely sold on Minter being a head coach, because not every up-and-coming coordinator has success; see Saleh, Mike McDaniel, and Aaron Glenn to name a few.  But Minter's going to a stable, well-run organization with good ownership.  I could see this going either way, but considering the Ravens are well-run enough to have only had three head coaches in 30 seasons, I'd say it'll likely work out.

Steelers hire Mike McCarthy: D-
Feels weird to give an extremely stable organization like the Steelers a "D-", but they deserve it for this hire.  On one hand, I am happy for McCarthy, who will be able to coach the team he grew up rooting for.  On the other hand, there is an almost zero chance that this ends in something other than disappointment.  McCarthy won a Super Bowl in Green Bay with a stud, talented QB and a young team around him.  McCarthy benefited from having a great team built by their GM.  Ever since, he's been unable to get a team back to a Super Bowl.  He will almost undoubtedly be the shortest tenured Steelers head coach ever, and not just because he's starting older than the other coaches were when they left.  It's because he's this generation's Jeff Fisher, cashing in on one good year for an entire career.  The worst part of this all is that there was no one else wanting to hire him, and there was zero hurry to make this move, yet they hurried to make it.  They avoid an "F" because McCarthy, like his predecessor before him, will be able to keep the Steelers competitive, but he will also keep them from winning any trophies.

Bills hire Joe Brady: D+
Let me ask this.  When is the last time a team promoted from within, and it worked wonders?  I can't think of one.  This does not feel like a step forward for the Bills.  With the Patriots' resurgence, they needed a coach to offset Mike Vrabel, and they did not get it.  Now, they'll likely compete for wild cards on Josh Allen's talent alone.  Way to go.  This grade is a D+ and not any lower because there is a bit of upside to hiring a younger, offensive mind, as we have seen in recent years.  But man, I will be shocked if Joe Brady ever leads them to a Super Bowl.  He may not even lead them to a playoff win.

Browns hire Todd Monken: C-
I don't absolutely hate this hire, but Monken was marginal at best as an offensive coordinator, despite having Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.  Also, a first-time head coach at 60?  Basically unheard of these days.  There's a chance he can make them slightly competitive, but this is a very uninspiring and unsexy hire.  I do like that he comes from a stable organization, ironically, the one that used to be the Browns.  But how is he an improvement over Kevin Stefanski?  It feels like a downgrade.  Monken has more experience, but I don't think there are many fans that consider him a brighter offensive mind.  Perhaps he'll be better at handling the chaos in Cleveland.

Cardinals hire Mike LaFleur: C
I'm giving this one a 50/50 shot of working, so a C is the right grade.  On one hand, LaFleur could not get a struggling Jets offense to function.  On the other hand, it WAS the Jets, and he made the Rams offense look good under Sean McVay.  But again, he had McVay to guide him, so how will he do without him?  He's going to be tasked to find a way to succeed in the stacked NFC West.  My best bet is that he will have one good season (maybe his first or second) and then be coasting on that for a while.  Think Zac Taylor in Cincinnati, who, coincidentally, is also a McVay protege.  

Raiders hire Klint Kubiak: C+
I mostly hate that this forces the Seahawks to go find their fourth coordinator in the past four seasons.  I didn't have 100% faith in Klint the whole season, so it will be interesting to see how he does as a head coach.  He does have it in his blood, as his dad, Gary, was a head coach for the Texans and Broncos.  I think there's a semi-decent chance this works, but like LaFleur with the Cardinals, Kubiak is going to need some other team to take last place.  Will the Chiefs continue falling?  Will the Chargers or Broncos take a huge step back?  I feel like both are unlikely.  If they give Klint some time, this may work.  He will have weapons to work with.  My #1 piece of advice for their front office is to improve their offensive line and get one receiver weapon for their #1 draft pick to throw to.

NFL Coaching Hirings Grades and Thoughts

It's now the 2026 NFL offseason, so I thought I'd go back and re-grade these and look back and see how close my grades were to what they are now.   Any of these updates will be in this blue font.

 With my Seahawks in the process of hiring a new head coach, I'm more invested in the NFL teams hiring head coaches than ever.  So, I thought I'd react and grade each head coach hiring, including the Seahawks', which I will go more in-depth on than other teams.  In order, chronologically:

Patriots hire Jerod Mayo: B-
NFL Linebackers have done well as NFL coaches in recent history.  Vrabel was good in Tennessee up until his last few seasons.  Demeco Ryans did fantastic in his first year in Houston.  Antonio Pierce did well as an interim coach (see below).  This is what you call a very safe move.  Mayo will keep the team from chaos, futility, and disorder, but I definitely think he may be a bridge coach.  The roster is one of the worst in the NFL and one offseason won't fix it.  Mayo learned from Belichick as a player and a coach, so for the players that remain it will be a fairly easy transition.  Maybe, if they make the right moves in the next couple of offseasons, they can return to contention around 2025-2026, but that is my optimistic view for them.

Wow, this was not a great hire.  I thought Mayo would be like Demeco Ryans, but he was not.  He only lasted one season before the Patriots smartly moved on to Mike Vrabel, who (so far) has them in the AFC Championship game in his first year after two back-to-back 13 loss seasons.

Retrospective Grade: F

Raiders hire Antonio Pierce: B+
Could they have done better?  Maybe.  But you had their best player, Maxx Crosby, publicly state if they didn't stick with Pierce that he'd likely request a trade.  That speaks volumes.  Pierce definitely seems like an excellent motivator, but we haven't seen too much of him as an in-game strategist or decision-maker.  It'll be interesting to see.  I could certainly see the Raiders as a potential wild card next year under Pierce.  He's certainly better than McDaniels, and it's good to see Mark Davis learned his lesson.  

Another one that didn't last long.  Yikes.  Pierce was quickly replaced by Pete Carroll, who was also gone after one full season.  Raiders need to find their long term option at coach!  I think the Raiders failed Pierce more than he failed them.

Retrospective Grade: D-

Titans hire Brian Callahan: B
I'm always lukewarm on coaches who have never been head coaches before unless they have an amazing pedigree, but Brian Callahan has a few things going for him.  One, he is the son of a coach and obviously learned a bit from him.  Two, he coordinated one of the league's best offenses in Cincinnati, and even made Jake Browning look decent.  But again, I am skeptical on new coaches, but as far as new coaches go, Callahan is a pretty darn good one.

And we have our third coach who could not complete a second year with the team.  Yikes.  Brian Callahan may have benefited from some nepotism, as his dad, Bob, led the Raiders to the Super Bowl in 2002.  But I think most people know it was a team Bob inherited from Gruden.  And Brian certainly wasn't up for the task in Tennessee.  But again, would any coach have had success?

Retrospective grade: D

Chargers hire Jim Harbaugh: A
Harbaugh has had success wherever he has gone as a head coach.  He went from bowl success with Stanford, to making the Super Bowl with the 49ers, to winning a national title with Michigan.  Next, Super Bowl win with the Chargers?  Hard to be upset with this hire unless you're a Chiefs, Raiders, or Broncos fan.  I can't give it an A+ because Harbaugh has been away from the NFL for a few years, and it has changed in that time.  We've seen coaches away from the NFL game struggle on a return *cough* Jon Gruden *cough*.  I doubt it'll be Harbaugh, but that is a possibility.  

Harbaugh so far has led the Chargers to the playoffs twice, but two first-round exits.  Very uninspiring.  But it's impressive considering the reign of the Chiefs and the recent resurgence of the Broncos.  He should've chosen a different division.  I don't think this is an "A" hire anymore, but not too far off.

Retrospective grade: B

Panthers hire Dave Canales: C
I don't know why this hire doesn't sit particularly well with me.  You have to give Canales some credit for helping revive the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield.  Can he do the same for Bryce Young?  We will see.  Here's the thing: The Seahawks' offense in 2022 and the Buccaneers' offense in 2023 weren't exactly lighting up scoreboards, and had great receiver talent already in place that helped, and both teams barely snuck into the playoffs.  Does Canales get this job if one thing goes wrong for the Hawks in 2022 or the Bucs in 2023 to prevent them from reaching the playoffs?  And he was an OC for only 1 season.  This is a boom or bust hire, so either Canales will join the ranks of McVay, Shanahan, and LeFleur, or he will get fired in a few seasons.  Good luck.  

Oops, read this one kind of wrong.  I think this has been a good hire for the Panthers, as Canales has gotten them from bottom-dweller to a playoff team this year, although they did have a losing record.  Next season will be hugely telling for Canales, whether this team keeps rising or takes a step back.

Retrospective grade: B+

Falcons hire Raheem Morris: D+
I can't wrap my mind around this.  This is a guy who was in the Falcons' organization a bit over 3 years ago, and he was even their interim head coach after they fired Dan Quinn, and they easily could've shed the interim tag and made him full-time.  Instead, they went out and got Arthur Smith, which turned out to be a mistake.  Now they've gone full circle and re-hired Morris.  I just don't get it.  I think Arthur Blank, the Falcons' owner, panicked and hired the guy he was most familiar with.  This is an incredibly safe and low-risk hire.  But I can almost guarantee the Falcons won't do any better than a borderline playoff team under Morris, and possibly a weak division winner if the division sucks (like Tampa Bay this year).  There's no way they'll do better than that.  And more realistically, they'll likely hover around 6-8 wins, just like they did with Smith.

I think I nailed this one.  I knew Raheem wasn't the best choice, and I was right.  Sure, he had some bad luck with Penix's injuries, and he also had to deal with the team drafting a first-round QB after signing Kirk Cousins to a large multi-year deal.  And neither was able to be a long-term starter for them, at least not yet.  The new coach has his work cut out for him at that position, but at least they'll have plenty of weapons with London, Pitts, and of course, Bijan.  

Retrospective grade: D+ (No change)

Seahawks hire Mike Macdonald: A+
A young coach being installed in a place with a support system and decent owners?  That usually works out.  The only time it really hasn't was with Brandon Staley and the Chargers, although you could argue the "decent owner" front.  Let's hope we don't have another Brandon Staley, but something tells me we don't.  I love John Schneider's willingness to go young, and I wonder (we will never likely know) who his plan B would've been.  Macdonald had some amazing defenses in Baltimore, and he made stars out of Kyle Hamilton and Marlon Humphrey.  I think he fits in very well in Seattle, and I, as well as many fans, will be willing to give him time.  I'm betting we'll see a quick turnaround on our defense, but the offense might be a work in progress, depending on who he picks for offensive coordinator.  I fully believe he was chosen due to the success his defense had against the NFC West last season, and JS is hoping he replicates that with the Hawks.

Absolutely nailed this one as well.  Macdonald so far has been an A+ hire.  He instantly got this team competitive on his own terms, and in his second year has gotten them the NFC West title, the #1 seed, and to the NFC Championship.  This wasn't a team that needed a ton of help, and in this year's coaching cycle was probably the best spot for a prospective coach.  We had just gotten stale with Carroll's mantra and the same ol' 9-8 type seasons.  Boy was this a great move.

Retrospective grade: A+ (No change)

Commanders hire Dan Quinn: C-
His defenses have done very well in recent years, and I'll say this: we have seen coaches have success when given a 2nd or 3rd shot.  Look at Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick (although, to be fair, DQ is no Carroll or Belichick).  I can see why Commanders' fans would not be too happy.  But hey, they poached him from a division rival, so DQ is certainly familiar with the opposing offenses in the division.  The key to his success will be the OC hire and if they can get a star quarterback.  Sam Howell is a fairly capable starter, but defensive-minded coaches need star QBs, which Howell is not.  This hiring can end up being a success, but so can all of these.  DQ will need to prove he can win without Kyle Shanahan as his OC.

DQ has had mixed results.  He got them all the way to the NFC Championship game in his first year, but had a very disappointing 2025.  I don't really fault him, however.  He was given an aging roster with several holes, and his star QB was hurt for most of the year.  I expect a bit of a bounce back in 2026.  But so far, not too bad.  Commanders fans need to be patient.  He's a good coach.

Retrospective grade: B-

Ranking the remaining Seahawks head coaching possibilities

 The Seahawks head coach search is winding down, and we should be hearing an announcement in the next few days.  As I'm writing this on Tuesday the 30th, I wouldn't be surprised if I heard an announcement made before I finish this post.  But I thought I'd rank the head coaching options from my most desired to the least desired, and talk about each.  I am only considering actual possibilities, so anyone that's been ruled out (Ben Johnson... sadface) or is just a virtual impossibility (Bill Belichick) will not be considered.  

1. Mike Macdonald (Ravens DC)
He's been called the "defensive Sean McVay", so getting him would be huge, since McVay is in our division.  With Johnson bowing out, Macdonald becomes the hot commodity between the Hawks and Commanders.  Unfortunately for us, he's got East Coast roots, so I think he's more likely to be the Commander's head coach.  But, you never know.  I've seen players/coaches choose teams that were further away from their roots because it suited them better.

Edit: We got our guy!  I'm stoked.  Glad to see he was okay with relocating to the west coast.  If anyone is going to figure out how to stop McVay and Shanahan's offenses, it's him.  His defenses beat both of their teams this year, and I wonder if that factored into the decision to hire him.  Good job JS!  Look out for my further thoughts in my other post where I grade the head coach hires.

2. Mike Vrabel (Former Titans HC)
The more I think about it, the more I like Vrabel.  But... we haven't apparently interviewed him yet.  Would we if we lose out on Macdonald?  Possibly.  JS has to explore all options.  Vrabel won in Tennessee, and I would really fault an aging core and lack of talent as to why the last couple years didn't go well for them.  He's a player's coach, being a former long time player himself.  Hope JS gives him a shot if we miss out on McDonald.

3. Ejiro Evero (Panthers DC)
I guess?  He's got a good defensive mind and his Panther's defense kept them in a lot of games this year.  Their offense just stunk.  The Seahawks haven't had a black head coach, so I would applaud that aspect of it.  I know if he became our head coach I'd call him EE.  I looked him up and all I see are other teams that want to hire him--as their DC.  Not head coach.  So he might not be it.  

4. Mike Kafka (Giants OC)
I remember when he was a backup QB in the NFL.  He was not particularly good.  Why is he being considered?  I have no idea.  His Giants' offenses weren't particularly great.  But I would love to have a younger offensive mind.  If he wins the job, it must be because he has the right plan and will do things the right way.  I worry about his leadership skills, but we wouldn't know until we saw it.

5. Patrick Graham (Raiders DC)
This is who I have felt for over a week now who the Seahawks will hire.  Just a gut feeling.  Again, would applaud the hire of a black head coach.  I just wouldn't be over the moon about this, and it would be a very ho-hum kind of hire.  But I'd be willing to give him a shot.

6. Dan Quinn (Cowboys DC)
Yes, he was our DC as well, but here's what I don't like: His only real success with the Falcons came when Kyle Shanahan was his OC, and he blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl.  What I do like is that he may be able to get some of his Cowboys players to come over, either after they become free agents or getting JS to trade for them.  

7. Anyone else
Depends, obviously.  The above (outside of Vrabel) are the only ones who have been reported to have had an interview.  You think about the best units in the NFL, and a lot of them are headed by a failed head coach.  If I had to pick one not on this list I'd love to see get a shot, I'd say Frank Smith, Dolphins OC.  Or if I had to go on the defensive side of the ball, I'd say Jeff Ulbrich, Jets DC, who used to be an assistant coach under Pete Carroll.  He'd be a lot like Vrabel, but unproven.  Unfortunately, he wasn't granted any interviews, which is puzzling.  

I'm excited to see how this pans out, and I trust in JS.  I'll give whoever he chooses a fair shot (and not be calling for his firing too soon, lol).  I might even update this with my thoughts if the guy we choose is someone I talked about on here.

My Thoughts on the Seahawks moving on from Pete Carroll

 When the Seahawks announced on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, that they were moving off of Pete Carroll as their head coach, I was, to say the least, surprised.  I knew Pete had built something in this organization that had never been seen before: A culture that kept players like Sherm, Kam, Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, Marshawn Lynch, and others coming back and visiting and lending their expertise to the current Hawks.  Therefore, I really felt that when it was time, Pete would leave on his own terms.  Instead, he was essentially removed as head coach.  Yes, it came across as more mutual, but I'd be willing to bet that had Pete not accepted it, they would have been forced to fire him, and he would not have left on as good of terms.  Instead, he will stay on in an advisory role.  (Supposedly)

I understand why it was done.  I think the main sticking point, the main reason it happened was due to Pete not being able to keep up with the modern game and compete against the younger coaches in the league.  If you listen to his press conferences or interviews, you hear that he wanted so badly for the team to do better in certain areas (like stopping the run), but they couldn't.  And it was not due to lack of talent.  They weren't picking guys off the street or relying upon undrafted free agents.  Also, Pete continued to struggle to come out on top against Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay's teams.  He had way more experience and was twice their age, but more often than not, the Hawks would come off looking worse in the divisional matchups with their teams.  

The next hire could not be more important.  The Hawks have a lot of young pieces and could easily make a Super Bowl run next season under the right leadership.  Alternatively, the wrong hire could lead to disastrous results where we could see this team head to a larger rebuild, a possible sale of the team, and a very uncertain future.  The wrong hire could set off a chain of events that spell doom for this organization.  But it could also continue the winning culture set forth not only by Pete Carroll but one of his predecessors, Mike Holmgren.  We cannot forget the impact coach Holmgren had, taking a perpetually mediocre team and elevating them to occasional contenders.

Whoever they hire has to be able to enter and immediately command the locker room and garner respect.  I don't think he can be too different from Pete Carroll, but he can't be too similar, either.  If he's too similar, the players will simply think this guy is trying to be the next Pete Carroll and won't respond as well.  However, a coach who is too different will be a bit of a culture shock to players like Geno, Tyler, DK, and Bobby (if he's here) and they won't respond well in that regard, either.  

I don't want to get into the specific candidates out there.  That's either for another post or maybe I'll evaluate each coaching hire once they are all done.  

Honestly, I'm excited.  The Hawks haven't had to actually search for a coach really in my NFL-viewing life.  Jim Mora Jr. was the heir apparent to Mike Holmgren, and Pete Carroll was hired to replace Mora after he became available.  There was never a real thorough process of bringing in multiple coaching candidates for interviews at that time.  I'll be excited to hear who flies in for an interview.  I'm sure some I'll be wishing they don't get the job and some I'll be wishing they do get the job, and some I'll be in-between on.  

Time will tell.  I'll definitely detail my thoughts once the hire is made.  Whoever it is, the 12s will give their full support and hopefully he can keep the Seahawks as consistent contenders.  GO HAWKS.

Pete Carroll's Time May Be Up

After watching the Seahawks lose embarrassingly at home to the last-place Cardinals 27-13, I have just about had enough.  Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll can no longer adapt to today's game, and I think it's time for him to retire.  He's had a great coaching career, winning a Super Bowl and getting to another.  He's the greatest coach in Seahawk's history.  But he just doesn't have what it takes to be a decent head coach in this league anymore.  His in-game decisions are poor, he restricts his offense and superstar quarterback, and at times seems lost during games.

Pete Carroll has never been known for being a great coach with in-game decisions.  He challenges what clearly won't be overturned, he calls questionable timeouts at best, and worst of all, he is ultra-conservative and coaches as if he has a journeyman quarterback.  Hawks fans have lost track of the number of times he has chosen to kick a field goal or punt rather than go for a fourth down attempt.  He's earned the nickname "No Balls Pete" from many Hawks fans.  In just this past Cardinals game I referenced, he sent out his field goal unit on a 4th and one from about the 32 yard line.  But after the field goal unit got "messed up up front" (his quote), they had to take a delay of game and then punt the ball away.  That's a coaching issue, and that's on him.  But the point I'm trying to make is that Carroll time and time again won't let his star quarterback make a play on a 4th down attempt.  Even when the Hawks go for it on 4th down (which is rare), he'll usually have Wilson hand the ball off, which the defense often sees coming and stops it.  Compare that to the Raven's John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson, who in their game against the Hawks, John actually asked Lamar if he thinks they should go for a 4th down attempt.  Lamar said yes, they attempted and converted with Lamar getting the first down himself.  Pete instead will take the ball out of his quarterback's hands, whether that be in favor of a punt or field goal, or handing off to a running back.

Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson are both perfect and horrible for each other at the same time.  They're perfect because they both stay optimistic no matter what and have a same outlook on the game.  However, they're also horrible for each other because Carroll restricts Wilson and doesn't give Wilson the opportunities he deserves.  Carroll hired an ultra-conservative offensive coordinator in Brian Schottenheimer, and "Schotty" has largely restricted Russell himself.  Carroll has always been a run-first or run-heavy type coach, but his failure to adapt to his star quarterback is costing the Hawks.  Carroll and General Manager John Schneider have also failed to surround Wilson with much talent, especially on the offensive line.  Since the Super Bowl years, they have still yet to put together even an average offensive line.  Instead, Wilson has had to make due with a run-heavy offense and a below average offensive line at best in the five years since then.

Fortunately for coach Carroll, even if the Hawks season ends from this point on in the worst way possible (which would be losing to the 49ers and a first-round exit at the hands of the Cowboys or Eagles), he will be saved because people will point to the massive amount of injuries as to the reason the Seahawk's season, once so full of promise, ended so poorly.  But I ask you to look at the Pittsburgh Steelers and their coach, Mike Tomlin.  He loses his superstar quarterback for the year, shortly after losing his two best offensive playmakers to other teams.  Tomlin also deals with injuries to his team's starting running back, next best receiver, and several other key players.  They are still contending for a playoff spot.  Think the Hawks would be contending for a playoff spot if they lost Wilson Week 2 and Carson for a few games?  Heck no.  The injury bug hits the Seahawks and Carroll does not weather the storm as well as Tomlin did.

The Hawks will lose to the 49ers.  There is no doubt in my mind.  The Hawks will probably play better than they did against the Cardinals, but may still lose by more than one score.  The Hawks will then get a #5 seed, and may even beat the Eagles or Cowboys.  But they will not beat the 49ers or Saints or Packers in the divisional round.  This team is stuck in a state of "pretty good" and have been since Super Bowl XLIX.  They're better than the average team because of Russell Wilson, but they can't get any better because Pete is holding them back.  We know he can't draft well anymore, and I think he cannot be a Super Bowl-caliber coach anymore.  Carroll's best fit is with a team with a great defense and a team built around the run.  He can't afford to have money tied up to his quarterback.  He'd be a great coach on teams like Chicago or Buffalo.  But here, it's just not a good fit anymore.

Edit: Well, the Hawks did lose to the 49ers, but they also almost won.  I am still convinced Pete Carroll needs to go.  He is unable to get his guys prepared and able to start out strong.  We'll see how they do against the Eagles in the playoffs.  Technically, the Hawks are still in a rebuild despite still making the playoffs, but without being able to draft capable starters, it's going to be VERY hard to break through and get to a conference championship (or better).