Pete Carroll ‘couldn’t be more fired up’ about USC hiring Clay Helton

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll took to Twitter and commended USC, his former employer, for changing Clay Helton’s title from interim to permanent.

In fact, Carroll has reached peak “fired up” because of it.

So that’s nice.

Perhaps he feels this way because the rumors of Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly leaving the NFL and taking over at Carroll’s former home are now officially squashed. USC fans should be happy about that, too.

Helton isn’t a flashy hire, and there’s a legitimate chance we’re sitting here 365 days from now and wondering why the Trojans bothered to promote him.

Excluding a one-game stint as the interim coach in 2013, Helton has no previous experience as a college head coach. His first gig is leading a nationally recognized brand. Whether or not you personally like the hire isn’t important in this regard. There’s no denying that’s quite the jump.

Granted, Helton has managed a 5-2 record at the helm of USC after taking over for Steve Sarkisian. Plus, the Trojans knocked off rival UCLA and sealed a place in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

Maybe he really is the right man for the job, and we’ll find out eventually. Plus, if a coach of Carroll’s caliber supports USC’s decision, there’s reason to believe the Trojans’ future is bright with Helton at the controls.