Seattle special teams coordinator Brian Schneider leaves Seahawks indefinitely

The Seattle Seahawks will be without a familiar face when the club opens the 2020 season at the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. 

As Nick Shook of NFL.com wrote, Seattle head coach Pete Carroll confirmed to reporters on Friday that special teams coordinator Brian Schneider has taken an indefinite leave from the organization for personal reasons. Special teams assistant Larry Izzo will temporarily replace Schneider.

Carroll didn't elaborate why Schneider, 49, left so soon before the first Sunday of the campaign. 

Per Shook and the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Schneider was about to begin his 11th season serving as Seattle's special teams coordinator. He previously worked under Carroll at USC before they accepted jobs with the Seahawks. 

According to the team's official website, Schneider's special teams units were first in the NFL in takeaways (24) second in blocked kicks (23), and fifth in touchdowns/safeties tallied (14) from the 2010 season through 2019.