Pete Carroll, Mack Brown Named Head Coaches for 2027 Polynesian Bowl

The adidas Polynesian Bowl, one of the nation’s premier high school football all-star games, continues to draw some of the biggest names in the sport.

Game officials announced Thursday that Pete Carroll, who led the Seattle Seahawks to a win in Super Bowl XLVIII and guided USC to two national championships, and Mack Brown, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, have been selected as head coaches for the 2027 Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii.

The game features 100 of the nation’s top-ranked junior and senior high school football players.

The 2027 event will mark the first time Carroll and Brown have shared the field since the 2006 BCS National Championship Game, when Brown’s Texas Longhorns beat Carroll’s USC Trojans 41-38.

Carroll will coach Team Makai, the Hawaiian word for ocean, while Brown will lead Team Mauka, the Hawaiian word for mountain.

“It’s an incredible honor to be part of the adidas Polynesian Bowl and to serve as a head coach,” Carroll said. “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.”

“I’m truly excited to be part of the adidas Polynesian Bowl,” Brown said. “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.”

“Having Mack Brown and Pete Carroll lead the adidas Polynesian Bowl is truly special,” said Jesse Sapolu, chairman of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame. “They are legendary leaders who reflect the values of our game and our community, and we’re proud to have them help guide these young men.”

It will be the third straight year that the Polynesian Bowl has featured a former Super Bowl-winning head coach. Doug Pederson, who led the Philadelphia Eagles to a victory in Super Bowl LII, coached Team Makai in the 2026 game that was played last January. Gary Kubiak, who led the Denver Broncos to a win in Super Bowl 50, served as a head coach in 2025.

Other former NFL head coaches who have worked the event include:

• Dick Vermeil (2018)
• Jim Zorn (2019)
• Steve Spurrier (2020)
• Romeo Crennel (2023)

The game has also featured former NFL players, including Doug Williams, the MVP of Super Bowl XXII, who coached in the 2022 event.

Past Polynesian Bowl head coaches

• 2017 — June Jones, Dick Tomey
• 2018 — Terry Donahue, Dick Vermeil
• 2019 — Mike Bellotti, Jim Zorn
• 2020 — Frank Beamer, Steve Spurrier
• 2022 — June Jones, Doug Williams
• 2023 — Romeo Crennel, Mark Richt
• 2024 — Marvin Lewis, Mike Zimmer
• 2025 — Jim Caldwell, Gary Kubiak
• 2026 — Mike Singletary, Doug Pederson