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Mike Macdonald, the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, was named the Seahawks’ new head coach on Wednesday.
According to sources who spoke with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Macdonald will sign a six-year deal.
Macdonald was received by team members and stated, “What an honor,” according to the team’s website. We couldn’t be happier to be here. We came here because of the people, not so much because of the prestige of the place or [GM] John Schneider and the others. To bring a championship back to Seattle and the 12s is the reason we are here.
We’re going to work extremely hard, have a great time, and have an amazing journey. We’re going to have a great football season and stay here for a very long time.
After meeting with Macdonald again on Wednesday, the day after their first interview in Baltimore, the Seahawks decided to hire him.
As the youngest head coach in the NFL, Macdonald, 36, brings a reputation as one of the best defensive minds in the league to Seattle. In his second season as Baltimore’s coordinator, 2023, he guided the Ravens to the top of the league in points allowed, sacks, and takeaways.
Macdonald and Schneider, along with other Seahawks officials, had their first meeting on Tuesday. Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, was interviewed in person by Seattle one day earlier. Sources told Schefter that Johnson later informed the Seahawks and the Washington Commanders, the final two clubs with head coaching openings, that he would be staying in Detroit.
Pete Carroll, 72, is leaving the Seahawks, and the 36-year-old Macdonald will take his place as the league’s youngest head coach. Compared to Jerod Mayo, who was brought on by the New England Patriots earlier this month to replace Bill Belichick, Macdonald is 16 months younger.
This year, Macdonald was among the most sought-after candidates for head coach. The Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, and Commanders were the six teams he conducted interviews with on their open positions.
The Ravens have a wide range of candidates to choose from among their present staff to succeed Macdonald as defensive coordinator. After interviewing for defensive coordinator positions with other NFL teams this offseason, candidates in Baltimore include defensive coordinator Chris Hewitt, defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, inside linebackers coach Zachary Orr, and assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
According to a source who spoke to ESPN, Orr is also a contender to take over as defensive coordinator for the Seahawks. Orr, a former NFL linebacker, has worked with Macdonald in Baltimore for the last two seasons.
After spending four seasons as a coach at his alma mater, the University of Georgia, Macdonald began his NFL career in 2014 as a coaching intern with the Ravens. Before Jim Harbaugh, the brother of John Harbaugh, hired Macdonald to become the defensive coordinator at the University of Michigan in 2021, Macdonald worked as a defensive assistant (2015–16), defensive backs coach (2017), and linebackers coach (2018–20) for seven seasons during his first tenure with the Baltimore Ravens.
In 2022, Macdonald went back to Baltimore to oversee the defense of the Ravens. In Macdonald’s two seasons in that capacity, Baltimore has led ESPN’s defensive efficiency measure while giving up the fewest points (17.5) and yards (312.8) per game. The Ravens made NFL history in 2023 when they led the league in sacks (60), takeaways (tied for first at 31), and fewest points allowed (16.5) all in the same season.
During the previous season, Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Queen stated, “I think [Macdonald is] the best candidate out there right now.” Nobody, in my opinion, does it quite like him. No one is as concerned as he is. Nobody will carry out his actions. He won’t stop working until everything is perfect. If he goes, then whoever wins will have the best candidate available. The man is just the best person I’ve ever met, both personally and as a coach. He genuinely cares about the players, the supporters, and everyone associated with the organization.
Born in Boston, Macdonald went to high school in Roswell, Georgia, where he suffered injuries that ruined his football career. He graduated from UGA in 2010 with a finance degree, summa cum laude, without participating in collegiate football. In 2013, while working for the Bulldogs as the defensive quality control and safeties coach, Macdonald completed his master’s degree in sports management at UGA, where he graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
In the history of the Seahawks, Macdonald will be the eighth full-time head coach. His appointment occurs precisely three weeks after team owner Jody Allen announced that Carroll will leave his 14-year tenure in Seattle and take on an undefined advisory position inside the business. Schneider now holds the last word when it comes to personnel matters, something Carroll previously held.
Schneider oversaw the hiring process for Carroll’s replacement, but he acknowledged that Allen, who took over as team captain following the death of her brother Paul in 2018, would have “a lot” of influence. Additionally, Schneider claimed that Allen gave him a “concise” and “clear” order to uphold the company’s “positive culture, everything that’s been created here.”
The New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, the Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, and the Dallas Cowboys DC were among the nine candidates the Seahawks reportedly had initial interviews with before doing second, in-person interviews with the majority of them. Ejiro Evero of the Carolina Panthers, Dan Quinn, Johnson, and Macdonald.
The Seahawks had to wait until the Ravens’ season was over to interview Macdonald since they did not do it during the team’s postseason bye week. Because of this, for the most part of the Seahawks’ hunt, his name went unnoticed as a potential player. However, this started to change after Baltimore’s journey to the AFC title game, where they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs despite stopping Patrick Mahomes for just 17 points.
Macdonald’s first task will be to put together a coaching staff. Carroll was let go by the Seahawks, who also allowed his aides to interview for other positions. Many were not anticipated to stay in their positions by Seattle’s next coach; offensive coordinator Shane Waldron (to become the Chicago Bears’ offensive coordinator) and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt (to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive line coach) are just two examples of those who have already accepted jobs elsewhere.
This winter, the Seahawks will also need to decide if they want to keep Geno Smith as their starting quarterback in 2023. If Smith is still on the team on February 16, his $12.7 million base salary for the next season will be completely guaranteed.
Credits: ESPN
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