Seattle Seahawks hire Mike Macdonald as new head coach

Jan 31, 2024, 10:17 AM | Updated: 4:42 pm

Seattle Seahawks coach search Mike Macdonald...

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald during his time as Ravens DC in 2023. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

After a nearly three-week search, the Seattle Seahawks have found their next head coach: Mike Macdonald, who has been defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens the past two seasons.

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ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Wednesday morning that the Seahawks and Macdonald are finalizing a deal to make him the team’s next head coach. The contract will be for six years, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

The Seahawks officially announced they have hired Macdonald late Wednesday afternoon.

It's official.

We've named Mike Macdonald as our head coach!

📰: https://t.co/VK006f3kaw pic.twitter.com/fkvpuDxppn

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) February 1, 2024

The Seahawks now go from the NFL’s oldest head coach in Pete Carroll, who is 72 years old, to the youngest in Macdonald, who is 36 years old.

The Baltimore defense led by Macdonald helped the Ravens earn the top seed in the AFC to the playoffs this season, as Baltimore became the first team in NFL history to lead the league in points allowed per game (16.5), sacks (60) and takeaways (31) in the same year.

Macdonald has been DC for each of the past two years under Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. He spent 2021 as the DC at the University of Michigan under the other famous Harbaugh brother, Jim. Prior to that, Macdonald was with the Ravens from 2014-20 serving as linebackers coach (2018-20), defensive backs coach (2017), defensive assistant (2015-16) and defensive coaching intern (2014). Macdonald graduated from Georgia, which is where he started his coaching career from 2011-13.

The Seahawks had to be patient in getting Macdonald. Because of the timing of when Seattle removed Carroll from the position after 14 seasons on Jan. 10, they were not able to hold an initial interview with Macdonald before the Ravens began the playoffs. Due to NFL rules, the Seahawks then had to wait until the Ravens season ended to talk to Macdonald, which didn’t happen until Baltimore lost 17-10 to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday in the AFC Championship.

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Macdonald was the last name the Seahawks were reported to have interest in to talk to Seattle about its head coach vacancy, with the first interview reportedly taking place Tuesday, per Albert Breer of The MMQB. Macdonald was then in Seattle for a second interview on Tuesday morning, as first reported by Pelissero.

Macdonald inherits a Seahawks team that is coming off back-to-back 9-8 seasons and has missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. The Seahawks face big questions at quarterback with Geno Smith’s contract a big point of discussion. He also takes over a Seattle defense that has been among the league’s worst over the last few years. That side of the ball has particularly struggled to stop the run over the last two seasons.

And then there’s the fact that he has a tough act to follow. Carroll has a case to be called the best coach in Seattle sports history after going 227-137-1 over 14 years, guiding the Seahawks to 10 playoff appearances, five NFC West crowns and the franchise’s lone Super Bowl title.

Seattle Sports’ Brandon Gustafson contributed to this post.