Nwosu: Seattle Seahawks’ coaching changes a ‘breath of fresh air’

Apr 12, 2024, 8:49 AM

Uchenna Nwosu of the Seattle Seahawks reacts during a 2022 game. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

Change can be scary, it can be fun, it can be good and it can be bad, but sometimes change is just necessary – which is what it seemed to be for the Seattle Seahawks.

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The Seahawks parted ways with revered coach Pete Carroll in January. The move marked the end of an era after Carroll led the Seahawks to their first-ever Super Bowl win during a decorated 14-year tenure with the team. Ex-Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald was brought in to be Carroll’s successor, and along with Macdonald came a slew of personnel changes on the coaching staff.

The Seahawks opened their offseason program this week and players met with media for the first time Wednesday. One Seahawks player described the upheaval as a ‘breath of fresh air.’

“Last year was kind of frustrating,” edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu said. “And sometimes when you get change, it can bring out the best in everybody. I see a lot more smiles on people’s faces. … They’re more happy, they’re more energetic. … I don’t know if that’s just because it’s the new year, new season, or it could be the coaching changes and new opportunity. But everybody is kind of coming along together and everybody’s talking more, everybody’s hanging out more and I feel like it’s bringing the locker room closer.”

Was Nwosu directly saying Carroll was the problem? Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk doesn’t necessarily think that’s the case.

“When you first hear it, I think most people, myself included, your mind immediately goes to Pete Carroll,” Salk said. “When I hear it the second time, when I hear coaching changes, I think back a little bit on what (former Seahawks linebacker) KJ (Wright) kind of told us last year about some of the issues they seemed to be having with the position coaches and some of the guys that we don’t hear about as much because they’re not as big a name to us outside the building. But for each player those position coaches are everything. That’s who they spend most of their time with, and I wonder if that’s what he’s speaking to there is some of the changes that were made among the assistant coaches on this team, not just even the coordinators, but really the position guys.”

The Seahawks’ coaching staff has seen almost a complete overhaul since Macdonald’s hire. The only coaches from the 2023 staff who are currently still with the team are senior defensive assistant Karl Scott and Carroll, who remained with the team in an advisory role.

“Whatever it is, (it’s) interesting,” Salk said. “Not necessarily the way I would have expected some of that frustration to go, saying that they weren’t having enough fun in the past. But that’s what you hear there from Uchenna.”

Listen to the full segment at this link or in the audio player in this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.