Pete Carroll Knew He Was in ‘Deep Trouble’ With the Patriots Because of Bologna

While life as a football coach comes with plenty of perks, job security isn’t one of them. Once the results start going south, your head is (metaphorically) on the line. Pete Carroll certainly understands that reality.

Although the bench boss has been working in Seattle for quite some time, his NFL head coaching career got off to a rocky start. After a single season leading the Jets and a brief step backward as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Carroll took over the top job in New England.

Shortly after signing on the dotted line, the Californian had a seemingly innocuous conversation with owner Robert Kraft about lunches. During that chat, a single comment about bologna sandwiches told Carroll all he needed to know about his future with the Patriots.

How important can some lunch meat between bread be?

Allow Carroll to explain.

Bologna sandwiches confirmed the difference between Carroll and the Patriots

These days, it’s tough to imagine anyone other than Bill Belichick coaching in Foxborough. There was a time, though, when Bill Parcells led the team into action.

The Big Tuna’s time in New England didn’t end happily, though. His Patriots reached Super Bowl XXXI, but Parcells ultimately clashed with Robert Kraft over personnel decisions and left town. Carroll then arrived, trying to keep the on-field success rolling.

“So, when I go to interview with New England, Robert Kraft hires me with the understanding that I’m going to bring the San Francisco philosophy,” Carroll told Richard Sherman on the former defensive back’s podcast.

Before long, though, a key difference emerged.

“We did everything first class in San Francisco,” the coach continued. “I mean, top drawer. Treated the players great. Looked after them. Took care of them. It was a clear philosophy that I was bringing, I was excited to unveil. The first thing we get to, we’re having a minicamp. And, so, I’m just checking out, how the set up of it [is], how it’s organized. And I’m figuring into the menu for the players on that weekend, you know.”

At that point, the big boss arrived and confirmed that Carroll wasn’t in San Francisco anymore.

“And Kraft comes to me and says, ‘Well, you know, we’re not gonna feed them like that.’ You know? ‘We give them bologna sandwiches and chips and stuff like that.’ And it went, and it hit me, just as clear as a bell. ‘I’m in deep trouble.’ I mean, if I can’t even feed them the way I want to feed them, what’s gonna come? I mean, I knew I had a moment, you know, ‘Oh my goodness.’ … That situation was, from the start, was a little challenging.”

Newsweek has reached out to the Patriots for comment.

Carroll’s intuition proved to be correct

While it might seem like the head coach was making a mountain out of a molehill, his time in New England did prove to be a challenge.

As documented in a 2015 ESPN story, Carroll was popular with his Patriots. Like Parcells, though, the coach didn’t have control over his roster. A particularly painful proof of that reality came when Curtis Martin, a former Offensive Rookie of the Year who played a key part in the Pats’ Super Bowl run, left town as a restricted free agent. The running back headed south down I-95 and spent the rest of his Hall-of-Fame career with the division rival Jets.

Ultimately, the Californian lasted three seasons with the Patriots. Despite issues with the roster, questionable draft picks, and some general bad luck, Carroll was the one who took the fall. Posting a 27-21 record couldn’t save him.

“The No. 1 thing that was very, very clear back then was he didn’t have control over the entire roster,” Lawyer Milloy remembered in the ESPN write-up. “Us ending the season out of the playoffs, going one game behind each year he was there, ultimately ended out of the playoffs—I think it was easy for the organization to want to get the next hot guy, which was Bill Belichick, and dismiss Pete Carroll. I don’t think it was totally his fault.”

And, in fairness, Kraft—who called firing the coach one of the toughest decisions he had to make— has shouldered some of the blame.

“A lot of things were going on that made it difficult for him to stay, some of which were out of his control,” Kraft was quoted as saying. “And it began with following a legend.”

Ultimately, Carroll and the Patriots found separate versions of success

Getting fired—or, by that same token, firing someone—isn’t fun. For Carroll and the Patriots, though, things ultimately worked out.

The coach returned to college, taking charge of USC’s football program. While the Trojans were later sanctioned, Carroll’s success there set up a return to the NFL. He joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2009 and, more than a decade later, is still in the Pacific Northwest with a Super Bowl ring to show for his efforts.

As for the Patriots, Kraft returned to the Bill Parcells tree by hiring Bill Belichick. From there, the rest is history. The hoodie-wearing head coach looms large as a legend of modern football, and New England has reaped the rewards.

And to think, NFL history could look rather different if not for some bologna sandwiches.