In his first nine seasons in the NFL, Richard Sherman played in three Super Bowls for two different teams in the NFC West. The last two appearances have been under Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks as part of his seven seasons with the team. His last two seasons were spent with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco as the 49ers reached the Super Bowl last season.
Carroll is a defensive trainer while Shanahan is hailed as an offensive brain. The two have proven to be successful head coaches in the NFL.
In an article by Jim Trotter of NFL.com, Sherman contrasted the similarities and differences of the two head coaches he played for in his career.
“(Carroll) has a way of coaching, a way of talking to his coaches, a way of getting his coaches to talk to his players. They don’t do all the rah-rah style, damn you. He would never hire a coach like that, “said Sherman regarding their interaction with the players. “Kyle is similar in that he has a philosophy of the best man games. He doesn’t care about your position plan or all of that. He’s more of a straight shooter than Pete. Pete has a way to make everyone feel good, to make sure he presses the buttons with certain players and not to push the buttons on other players. Kyle is different. It is one size. “
During this time, coaches must also be knowledgeable about the game on the field, not just be skilled at managing players so that their teams can truly succeed. Sherman said that Shanahan and Carroll have the training needed to succeed.
“Kyle is one of the best offensive minds we have ever had in this game. It comes into play, ”said Sherman. “With Pete, it’s cover 3 he brought to the league. It sounds so simple, but no one can make it work like we did. The way the two implement what they do – they talk to others on a personal level and then have great coaches around them who believe in their philosophy. “
