Seahawks hiring former UW Huskies OC Ryan Grubb, per reports

A month-long vacation to Alabama for former UW Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is apparently over, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting Friday night that he is returning to Seattle to be the new Seahawks OC.

Husky revenge? Seahawks may grab even more of DeBoer’s coaches

Grubb, 47, left Washington for Alabama along with head coach Kalen DeBoer in January, appearing to take the Bama OC job after posting on social media that he would not be the Huskies’ head coach even though “he wanted to be.”

It was reported last week that the Seahawks were interested in Grubb for their open OC spot following the hiring of new head coach Mike Macdonald, who came to Seattle on Jan. 31 after two seasons as Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator.

ESPN’s Graziano: Seahawks not alone in thinking Macdonald is ‘a star’

Grubb briefly dispelled rumors of going to the Seahawks this week during a National Signing Day speaking event, announcing himself as Alabama’s offensive coordinator. But on Friday night, pictures began appearing on social media of Grubb at a Renton bar with Macdonald and Seahawks general manager John Schneider. Soon came the reports from NFL insiders that Grubb is the latest addition to Macdonald’s staff.

Though the hiring of Grubb has not been announced by the Seahawks, the team seemed to reference the pictures of him with Macdonald and Schneider with this post on social media:

🍻

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) February 10, 2024

Seattle Sports’ Brock Huard, a FOX football analyst and former UW Huskies quarterback, weighed in on the reported move Friday night on social media:

Big get for Schneider & Macdonald

Even bigger loss for DeBoer & Bama

Wow https://t.co/yfjjIuLmRu

— Brock Huard (@BrockHuard) February 10, 2024

Grubb was behind the high-flying Huskies offense the past two seasons. With Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback, Washington led the nation in passing in both 2022 and 2023, Grubb’s two seasons on Montlake.

And by the way, Penix is in April’s NFL Draft class, and the Seahawks’ QB situation is anything but settled.

The Huskies had a combined 25-3 over Grubb’s two seasons. He has coached alongside DeBoer nearly every year since 2007 but has never coached in the NFL.

The Seahawks also reportedly settled on Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde as their new defensive coordinator Friday, and it was previously reported that Leslie Frazier would join the staff as assistant head coach and Jay Harbaugh (son of Jim) will be special teams coordinator.

What Ryan Grubb can bring as Seattle Seahawks OC

On an edition of Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk last week, Huard shared his thoughts on the rumor that Grubb may have been a Seahawks OC candidate. Read the full story here, and see below a bit of what he said.

Two reasons Huard thinks Grubb would be a good fit:

This team needs an identity at the offensive line. It needs that mindset at the offensive line, and that is this dude’s background, and he’s intense now. (If) you went around, as I got a chance to do, to watch Husky practices, you’re gonna hear Ryan Grubb. He’s gonna get after those guys. And he turned (Troy) Fautanu into a first-round pick, and I think Roger Rosengarten with the work he did (at the Senior Bowl) is probably going to be drafted in the first 50 to 60 picks as well in a super deep offensive line draft. He’s developed guys there at that position and gets the most out of them, which you have to do at the NFL. I love that.

“Answers and solutions” as a play-caller:

We’re gonna line up in this, you’re gonna show me your cards, and then we’re gonna get to that and I’m gonna have an answer for you. And maybe not a surprise that he’s on this interview list because remember where Mike Macdonald came from. He came (to Baltimore) from Michigan for a year, still has connections there. And I’m sure he pinged (former Michigan) Jim Harbaugh and was like, ‘Hey, Jim, what was it like getting ready for that (UW Huskies offensive) system?’ … Ask Oregon, ask (defensive coordinator) Tosh Lupoi what it was like to try to defend that group.

Seattle Seahawks Breakdown: The three big roster decisions this offseason

Follow @BrentStecker