Heaps: Seahawks fired Solari to make things more ‘streamlined’ for Waldron

The Seahawks made another coaching move on Friday, but it was one that was a little out of nowhere and unexpected.

Reports: Seahawks hire Desai as associate HC, fire OL coach Solari

The team announced Friday afternoon that veteran offensive line coach Mike Solari was being relieved of his duties. While the Seahawks have yet to name his replacement, NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero reported that Seattle would be promoting internally with that position. Mike Silver of Bally Sports later reported that Andy Dickerson, the Seahawks’ running game coordinator who came to Seattle in 2021 along with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, is going to be the team’s next offensive line coach.

There has been plenty of shakeup with the Seahawks’ defensive coaching staff, with the team firing defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and defensive passing game coordinator Andre Curtis and replacing those two with Clint Hurtt and Karl Scott, respectively. The defensive staff has also reportedly added ex-Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai to the mix as associate head coach – defense.

But as far as the offensive staff, quarterbacks coach Austin Davis left to be the offensive coordinator at Auburn – though he left after roughly a month due to personal issues – and that was it on that side of the ball.

Now, Solari is out and the team will have someone else coaching up the big boys up front.

So why was the move made? And what does that signal for the Seahawks? Former NFL quarterback Jake Heaps weighed in during Friday’s edition of Jake and Stacy on 710 ESPN Seattle.

“There’s a very clear difference in what Mike Solari’s background is and what he likes, which is a more downhill run scheme,” Heaps said. “Combination blocks, point of attack. That is more of what Mike Solari has been known as as an offensive line coach over his years. (That also means) that he loves bigger-bodied guys, tough dudes, guys that are going out at the point of attack, maulers.”

That kind of approach and philosophy doesn’t entirely mesh with Waldron’s ideal offense, Heaps said.

“Whereas in Shane Waldron’s run scheme, it is a more pure zone run scheme,” Heaps said. “Andy Dickerson, who came with Shane Waldron as the run game coordinator, was also the assistant (offensive) line coach with the Rams. So this was (done), I think, just to make it a more seamless transition, to make it more streamlined in terms of what Shane Waldron really wants to do from a run game perspective and how they build their offensive line in the future and how they draft offensive lineman, (with) Andy Dickerson being in charge – fully in charge – of how that goes. I just think it’s a better way to streamline everything, to get everybody on the same page moving forward.”

Heaps stressed that Solari being let go does not mean that he is a bad coach or did a bad job during his time with the Seahawks.

“I think he did a great job here in Seattle, especially during his time in 2018 and 2019,” he said. “But as you go into this new transition, this new phase schematically, this move was very necessary in order to get the best out of Shane Waldron’s offense.”

Listen to the second hour of Friday’s Jake and Stacy at this link or in the player below.

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