Seattle Seahawks reward Pete Carroll with contract extension

Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks were considered by many to be in a rebuild year after losing key personnel and beginning the season with back-to-back losses to the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears.

Carroll and the Seahawks turned their fortunes around quickly, and it earned the longtime Seattle head coach a contract extension.

Sources told ESPN that the Seahawks signed Carroll to a multi-year extension through 2021 on Monday.

League sources told the NFL Network that Carroll will earn $11 million annually, putting him among the highest-paid coaches in the NFL.

"I am excited to announce that we have extended Head Coach Pete Carroll through the 2021 season," Seahawks chair and trustee of the Paul G. Allen Trust Jody Allen said in a statement. "This will continue the championship culture that we have created in Seattle."

Carroll is the winningest coach in the team's history with an 88-54-1 record in the regular season. He has a 9-5 record in the playoffs and guided the Seahawks to two Super Bowl appearances, including the franchise's first championship win in Super Bowl XLVIII.

"So grateful to Jody and the organization," Carroll said in a statement. "I love this team and couldn't be more proud to represent the 12s."

Carroll's extension through 2021 would be his 12th season with the team, making him the longest-tenured head coach in franchise history. Mike Holmgren (1999-2008) currently holds that honor with his 10 years of coaching the Seahawks.

Carroll and the Seahawks combated offseason coaching changes and the departures of significant defensive players in free agency, including All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman. The team added defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and offensive line coach Mike Solari to the coaching staff this season.

The Seahawks (9-6) defeated the high-powered Kansas City Chiefs (11-4) on Sunday night and clinched a postseason berth for the sixth time in the last seven seasons despite the offseason changes and youth of the roster.