A pair of football coaching legends will helm the 2027 Polynesian Bowl in Pete Carroll and Mack Brown.
Carroll, 74, was most recently the head coach of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders. He was previously the head coach for the Seattle Seahawks from 2010 to 2023, winning the Super Bowl in 2014.
Carroll was also the head coach at USC from 2001 to 2009, winning national championships in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. His time with the Trojans was preceded by serving as the head coach for the New England Patriots from 1997 to 1998, as well as the New York Jets in 1994.
Brown, also 74, spent his entire coaching career in the collegiate ranks. He was the head coach at Appalachian State in 1983, as well as Tulane from 1985 to 1987. His first stint as North Carolina's head coach was from 1988 to 1997, while his second was from 2019 to 2024. Brown's was also the head coach at Texas from 1998 to 2013.
In the BCS national championship game on Jan. 4, 2006, Texas defeated USC 41-38 in what is still considered one of the greatest games in college football history. Brown won his first national championship at Texas, ending Carroll and USC's hopes of a third straight national crown.
“I’m truly excited to be part of the adidas Polynesian Bowl. I’ve always believed in the power of the game to bring people together, and I look forward to sharing in these athletes’ journey — an experience they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives,” Brown said in a press release.
Added Carroll: “It’s an incredible honor to be part of the adidas Polynesian Bowl and to serve as a head coach. The Polynesian community has given so much to football at every level. This event is about more than football — it’s about celebrating culture, family, and the tremendous talent of these young men."
After debuting in 2017 at Aloha Stadium, the Polynesian Bowl has earned a reputation as one of the country's top high school football all-star games. The game has been played annually on O‘ahu, with the exception of 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The most recent Polynesian Bowl was played at UH-Mānoa's Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex for the first time in January.
A date and O‘ahu venue for the 2027 Polynesian Bowl has not yet been announced.
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
