USC Coach Pete Carroll is pissed QB Mark Sanchez is turning pro

Sanchez has the chance to be the top pick in the draft. Why not go?

Now USC quarterback Mark Sanchez has announced he’s leaving the Trojan football factory ”early” to put his name in the NFL draft hopper while he still has a year of eligibility left. At the news conference Thursday, Trojans coach Pete Carroll looked so upset with the decision that his presence next to his star quarterback was almost unpleasant to behold. ”We don’t see this decision the same,” Carroll explained. His reasons would come in later interviews: Sanchez’s lack of experience. Almost the entire USC offense is coming back. Win it all next year (instead of going 12-1 and finishing No. 3) and build your image. Improve, improve. – From Chicago Sun Times

Mark Sanchez made his own call, and it wasn’t a big hit with coach Pete Carroll. Coming off a record-setting Rose Bowl, the Southern California quarterback will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft — going against the advice of Carroll. Sanchez, a fourth-year junior, announced his plans at a campus news conference Thursday, the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft. The past three stars who played quarterback at USC under Carroll stayed for their senior seasons, and the former NFL coach thought Sanchez should do the same. – From ESPN

Carroll said he considers Sanchez as talented as any of those three, but the coach won’t get to see how a fifth year might have benefited the quarterback. “The facts are so strong against this decision,” Carroll said. “After analyzing all the information, the truth is there, he should have stayed for another year. He lost out on a chance to fully prepare himself. The facts are there’s a 62 percent failure rate for underclassmen quarterbacks.” Before Sanchez could take questions from media, his former coach patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the room. According to the Daily News, Sanchez was surprised Carroll left because the coach insisted the two appear together at the news conference, sources said. – From here