Seattle Seahawks fire Jim Mora; Pete Carroll courted, sources say Official Video

Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora has been fired, the first coach in team history to be let go after one season, and league sources say longtime USC coach Pete Carroll is being targeted as Mora's replacement.

A prominent USC source close to the athletic department said Friday that Carroll joining the Seahawks was "going down."

Jim Mora

Mora

Carroll

Carroll

Carroll met with Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke and other members of the organization earlier this week. The two sides are close to a five-year deal worth $7 million a year that would make Carroll both president and head coach, sources told the Los Angeles Times.

While Carroll would receive control over football operations, sources said that Leiweke still wants to be involved in selecting a general manager to preserve some system of checks and balances. However, Carroll would have final authority on personnel and will be heavily involved in the hiring of the new GM. The issue is not considered a deal-breaker, sources said.

A source close to Carroll told ESPN The Magazine's Bruce Feldman that Carroll is scheduled to meet with the Seahawks either Saturday night or Sunday.

Members of Seattle's coaching staff, the source said, also were informed Friday afternoon that the franchise now will hire a head coach before hiring a general manager, which also is consistent with Carroll's prior statements about considering any return to the NFL.

Carroll previously has said he's learned at USC that running his own operation is paramount to success and it would be a priority for him to set up his own football operation if a desirable NFL position ever became available. Carroll did not have that authority as coach of both the New York Jets and New England Patriots in the 1990s.

In a text message Friday, Carroll said, "You know I haven't responded to a NFL question in two years." But a league source said Carroll is trying to persuade USC offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates to join him in Seattle -- as opposed to Bates pursuing the same position with the Chicago Bears.