THIS CITY BELONGS TO CARROLL.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

ANAHEIM - He is the king of L.A. Not just a king, but a beloved one.

When Pete Carroll walks these days, people all but throw flowers at his feet. They want their picture taken with him, to shake his hand, to touch him like he's a Beatle, to whisper of this hot prospect back at the local high school.

They shout encouragement, flattery. Shout just so he might look and wave at them.

Carroll was at LAX a couple of weeks ago with his Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Matt Leinart, just talking before they departed for a magazine shoot.

``People are going by saying, 'Pete we love you! Pete go get us another one!' '' Leinart said. ``He's just kind of smiling.

``He's the man in L.A. He's running this town. He's like the mayor, the king. The city goes through him.''

Carroll has won consecutive national football championships at USC and will be favored for an unprecedented third straight in the fall. He has not only returned the Trojans to glory, but taken them to new heights.

The adulation for Carroll has swelled with the passing of each of his four seasons at USC, and is now at a new zenith. The Trojans faithful are giddy with success and know exactly where it has begun.

King Carroll.

It is a throne Carroll never particularly desired, yet he is not uncomfortable in this regal role. It has become part of the job and Carroll has excelled at USC in attacking every facet of his job.

``I get a lot of support now,'' he said. ``It's so out of balance. So much attention and well-wishing and all. It's really, really awesome.

``People go out of their way to say something all the time. It's hard to imagine all this attention all of the time like this.''

USC's football program is riding an extraordinary wave right now. It's partly why Leinart passed on certain NFL riches to remain at USC for his senior season. Why top-flight recruits continue to commit.

Why even with the loss of highly respected offensive coordinator Norm Chow, line coach Tim Davis and assistant head coach Ed Orgeron, the Trojans are expected to open the season again ranked No. 1.

USC still has Carroll. It still has its Leonardo DiCaprio in a cardinal polo shirt, sans the faux Titanic. Carroll is spoken of with the kind of reverence once saved only for ex-coach John McKay.

``There's a lot of love for the Trojans out there these days,'' Carroll said. ``It's really wonderful. I'm glad we brought so much fun and enjoyment to a lot of people.

``It reminds me of the responsibility of keeping it going, to keep it at this kind of level.''

Carroll is not without ego, but neither does he seek personal attention. He appears unaffected by it, both the lavish praise and bloated requests for his time.

``There's been a dramatic increase in the demand for Pete from media, boosters and fans, the general public, and charitable and community organizations,'' said USC sports information director Tim Tessalone. ``Pete hates to say no, although there are times he just can't physically get to things or accommodate all the demands.

``I think the key thing people are finding out is, the guy they see out there is the guy he is around his team and Heritage Hall. He is very charismatic, very personable. He knows how to connect with people in a variety of ways.''

Carroll the high-energy, hyperactive coach came quickly into view at USC. Carroll the intense competitor, Carroll the genuine person, the extremely focused coach, became clear shortly after.

Dave Levy, a former USC assistant under McKay, may have paid Carroll the ultimate compliment last week at a dinner for the Orange County Youth Sports Foundation.

``I don't think we've ever had a coach more complete,'' Levy said. ``And he's won a few games.''

Carroll is 42-9 as the USC coach, and has won a remarkable 40 of his last 44 games since a 2-5 start. USC has played 22 consecutive games since it last tasted defeat.

There will be a natural suspicion by many that all this success, the consecutive national championships, will temper his hunger to succeed. Those with such suspicions do not know Carroll well.

``It's a little different flavor, as there was last year going in No. 1 and trying to do it again, which was kind of the cry,'' Carroll said.

``This year it's different for us because this kind of territory hasn't been attained very often. We're going to show whether we can hang onto the focus that allows us to do this.

``We're capable of having a great football year, but the challenges continue to be out there for us and our ability to hold on.

We're not changing a thing. It's going to be awesome to go for it. It's an awesome opportunity.''

That's the way Carroll seems to view life, a series of incredible opportunities, one almost seamlessly melding into the next.

At USC he was quickly regarded as a defensive mastermind, while the credit for USC's high-scoring offense went largely to Chow. Their relationship had started to deteriorate when Chow opted to join the NFL.

Now there will be those wondering if Carroll can continue his incredible roll without an offense that was always impressive under the veteran Chow.

``We lost a number of big-time contributors to our program, and for sure, I'm taking that challenge to heart,'' he said.

``Everyone on the outside thinks we won't be able to maintain the level of play with the changeover.

``I take that as a direct personal challenge, to see if we can pull that together and get it done.''

Carroll has hardly been slowed down by success.

He spent most of May on the road, recruiting the nation's most sought after high school juniors for next year's class.

This is not a man who lets down, who knows any way of working toward a goal that doesn't include attacking it.

Tessalone said he called Carroll on the road once last month and asked him where he'd been recently.

``He must have named off about a dozen states he's been in during the last week,'' Tessalone said.

``He understands the life blood of the program is the players and recruits. This is an area where he can compete for the best players.

``And everything that Pete does is built on competition. That's how he structures his team, his practices, his program.''

A program that has him lauded from coast to coast, but most significantly in the Los Angeles area.

Here he is king. Here he has learned that the exaltation is one more part of his job as USC football coach.

``I'm OK with it,'' he said. ``I'm thrilled people are having so much fun with it and love the Trojans and like what we're doing. I'm thrilled to bring them that kind of joy.

``I hope it lasts forever. Let's keep it going.''

There has always been the assumption that however royal his stay in Los Angeles has become, one day he would return to the NFL.

One day he would try for a third time to match his success at USC in the NFL.

That day may come, yet more than ever he seems to be enjoying where he is at right now. Appreciating exactly how special his current situation is.

``I'm really comfortable with it,'' he said. ``I really feel at home and at peace doing this job. I love the challenges of seeing how long we can keep it at such a high level.

``I'm very fortunate to have this time and don't want to miss out on it.''

Long live the king.