Carroll Vs. Chow

Here’s a little history lesson on Norm Chow’s departure from USC and his falling out with Pete Carroll.

Relations between Pete Carroll and Norm Chow deteriorated over time. Carroll resented how Chow always got credited with the success of the offense and quarterbacks winning the Heisman Trophy. He worried recruits would think the offense would fall apart if Chow ever left.
On top of this, Lane Kiffin and Chow barely spoke and had at best a strained and sometimes hostile relationship. Remember the argument during the 2004 Orange Bowl practices in Florida?
Chow resented the way Carroll increasingly meddled with the offense. Many times, Carroll said, “This isn’t the BYU offense” or said he intervened midway through the 2001 season to “fix” the offense.
Things reached a head in January of 2005. Carroll, Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian met in Mobile, Ala., at the Senior Bowl and talked about a plan to bring Sarkisian back from the Raiders, where he was an assistant and kick Chow into the job of assistant head coach.
They also discussed removing playcalling duties from Chow.
Chow told friends recently he was “hurt” and “upset” and thought he was being forced out.
“I think they wouldn’t mind if (Chow) left,” said an associate of Carroll and Chow. “I think it’s about ego and maybe they are tired of Norm. They don’t need him anymore.”
Now, to be fair, Chow could also be aloof and paranoid at times and his quiet demeanor is not the type of personality Carroll seems to prefer on his coaching staff.
With all of this going on, Chow was offered the Titans job. After he took the job, some other things happened between involving Chow and Kiffin, but I’ll go into them another time. Meanwhile Chow no longer speaks to Sarkisian, feeling he was betrayed by his former protege.