Seattle Seahawks

Pete Carroll briefly addresses the rumors linking him to the Rams' coaching vacancy

Published Dec. 13, 2016 9:55 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

Rumors have been swirling since the Los Angeles Rams fired Jeff Fisher on Monday. Everyone from Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh to Super Bowl-winning former head coach Jon Gruden have been linked to the Rams’ opening.

One name you apparently can scratch off that list is Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. The former USC head coach and California native was asked Tuesday if he would rule out the possibility of filling the vacancy.

Carroll’s response was succinct and definitive: “Yes.”

Carroll has spent the past seven seasons in Seattle, transforming the Seahawks into a Super Bowl contender almost overnight. Carroll, who is two wins shy of recording his seventh consecutive season with double-digit victories, abruptly left USC for Seattle months before the Trojans were hit with sanctions, leaving many to question the timing of his departure.

The Rams let go of Fisher despite announcing a new deal for the veteran head coach earlier this month. Fisher failed to record one winning season during his five years with the Rams.