The Seattle Seahawks have officially made the franchise's first head-coaching hire in 14 years after the firing of Pete Carroll.
Per reports from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Seahawks have hired Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as head coach after a lengthy decision-making process. Seattle and the Washington Commanders were the final two teams with a head-coaching vacancy.
Macdonald, a former defensive assistant for his alma mater at the University of Georgia, had been with the Ravens since 2014 when he started as a coaching intern two years removed from Baltimore’s Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
He moved up to defensive assistant, defensive backs coach and eventually linebackers coach in 2018 before departing back to the college ranks to play for the other Harbaguh as the defensive coordinator at Michigan for one season in 2021.
The Ravens hired Macdonald back as their defensive coordinator last season, and the move clearly paid off. During the 2023 regular season, Baltimore’s defense posted a league-leading 60 sacks and allowed the sixth-fewest offensive yards per game (301.4).
He now has some major shoes to fill with Carroll’s departure, but considering how long the decision took, it’s clear that the Seahawks feel Macdonald can uphold the franchise’s culture while simultaneously bringing them back into Super Bowl contention.
More must-reads: