Who are Seahawks’ first reported coach interview requests?

Jan 15, 2024, 2:24 PM | Updated: 2:46 pm

Seattle Seahawks coach search Raheem Morris...

Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. (Harry How/Getty Images)

(Harry How/Getty Images)

BY BRENT STECKER

Seattle Sports

There has been some movement in the Seattle Seahawks’ search for the successor to Pete Carroll as head coach.

ESPN’s Schefter: Are two big-name coaches in play for Seahawks?

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on social media Monday afternoon that the Seahawks have requested to interview three separate assistant coaches from elsewhere in the league, while ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on two others.

Here’s a look at those five combined names.

Reported Seattle Seahawks coach interview requests

• Cowboys DC Dan Quinn (per Pelissero)

As Pelissero noted, this one is no surprise. Quinn was Carroll’s defensive coordinator when the Seahawks made back-to-back Super Bowls a decade ago, and he reached another as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, a role he held from 2015-20.

The 53-year-old Quinn has led three straight top-10 scoring defenses in his three years with the Cowboys, including a pair of finishes in the top five the past two years, and he won NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2021.

Helping Quinn’s cause is that many NFL coaches have seen success after a period of time between their first and second chances as a head coach. Not helping his cause is Dallas’ embarrassing 48-32 loss Sunday to the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round of the playoffs.

For more on Quinn, click either of the links below or watch the video above.

Potenial Seattle Seahawks coach candidates | Brock, Bump on who Hawks could get

• Dolphins OC Frank Smith (per Pelissero)

Smith, 42, has 20 years of coaching experience, the last two of which he’s spent as Miami’s offensive coordinator. In his first season with the Dolphins, they had a top-10 offense for the first time in 25 years.

Smith has been an assistant in the NFL for each of the past 10 seasons after starting his coaching career in college, first with two years at Miami (Ohio) and then three years at Butler, where he eventually received his first chance to be an OC.

• Panthers DC Ejiro Evero (per Pelissero)

The 43-year-old Evero became defensive coordinator in Jacksonville ahead of this season after holding the same position with the Broncos the year before.

Evero has 17 years of coaching experience, including 15 in the NFL.

Before going to Denver, Evero was on Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams staff as secondary coach/pass game coordinator (2021) and safeties coach (2017-20), so he was part of the 2018 team that made the Super Bowl and the 2021 squad that won it.

• Rams DC Raheem Morris (per Schefter)

From a former Rams assistant to a current one. Morris, 47, just finished his third season as LA’s defensive coordinator. This is his third stop along McVay, as the two were on the same staffs at Tampa Bay (2008) and Washington (2008-14).

Morris actually was Quinn’s defensive coordinator in 2020 with the Falcons and took over as interim coach when Quinn was fired during that season. He held assistant head coach & pass game coordinator roles under Quinn from 2015-19 and added wide receivers coach to his duties from 2016-19 before being promoted to DC.

Morris was head coach of the Buccaneers from 2009-11, and was on two staffs nearly two decades apart that won Super Bowls – the 2021 Rams and 2002 Bucs.

• Giants OC Mike Kafka (per Schefter)

The 36-year-old Kafka just finished his second year with the Giants and seventh as a coach in the NFL.

Before going to New York, Kafka was on Andy Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs staff, including the final two as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. He also played under Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles as a quarterback after joining the team as a fourth-round NFL Draft pick out of Northwestern.

• One more name

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on Saturday that the Seahawks plan to talk to Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. Click here for more in a video from Rapoport’s social media page.