Rumor of legendary USC Football Head Coach Pete Carroll heading to UCLA is laughable

There is a ridiculous rumor floating around out there about legendary USC Football Head Coach Pete Carroll.

The rather blasphemous rumor comes from Pro Football Network’s Chief NFL Draft Insider Tony Pauline, and here's what he has to say:

“From what I’m hearing, UCLA could potentially try and court Pete Carroll, to bring Pete Carroll in as the head coach of UCLA.”

Former great USC Football Head Coach Pete Carroll is not going to replace Chip Kelly at UCLA.

This is the only source suggesting that Pete Carroll, who won multiple National Championships with USC football, is someone UCLA is pursuing to replace Chip Kelly.

First off, if UCLA wanted to fire Chip Kelly, they likely would have done it already. The Bruins made the decision to keep Kelly after three horrible seasons of four or less wins due to false claims that he was improving the team (they claimed losing didn't matter because their losses were 'close' in 2020), and due to a large $9 million buyout that they didn't want to pay.

Cam Mellor of Pro Football Network explains why he and Pauline are speculating about UCLA letting the poor head coach go:

"It’s simple: January 15 is around the corner. That day marks the last day of Kelly’s fourth year as UCLA’s head coach and turns the page to the fifth and last year of his contract. It also signifies when his reciprocal buyout of $9 million expires. Both parties are free to walk away from each other without owing any money."

- Cam Mellor, Pro Football Network

Still, very few college football programs in today's game wait a month and a half to fire their coach. It means that other teams have prepared for next season for a month and a half longer than them, and/or their recruiting would have to be re-set after a month and a half of work. And if UCLA potentially would fire Kelly and not be able to land Carroll, then they would also be trying to recruit without a coach until they find a lesser candidate.

Besides, there's absolutely no reason Carroll would want to go to UCLA. He's one of the greatest college football coaches in history; accomplishing tremendous feats at SC such as coaching up seven straight top four AP poll finishes from 2002 to 2008, winning four Rose Bowls and two Orange Bowls in that span.

He won't be going to a lackluster football program like UCLA, who has won a total of just 613 games in their entire existence (just 61st in college football history). UCLA has a depressing .458 winning percentage in bowl games which places 59th all-time. Their .577 all-time record is very sad as well, as it places just 38th in CFB history.

It would be quite the step down from all four of Carroll's last four Head Coaching jobs, which were all either at USC or in the NFL. It certainly does look like Carroll may get fired after this season by Seattle, but he's too strong of a coach to go to UCLA if they want to make a splash hire. They likely won't even want to, as he is 70 years old and has been out of the college game since he went to the NFL for his first season in 2010.

If teams wanted to take a shot on Carroll, however, he would qualify for MANY more programs than the very underwhelming Bruin program, which hasn't finished a season in the AP poll since way back in 2014.