Huard: 6 reasons Seahawks hired Klint Kubiak as OC
Jan 29, 2025, 2:47 PM
After nearly three weeks of searching, the Seattle Seahawks landed on their next offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak.
Rost: Seattle Seahawks GM’s bold approach now needs to be applied in new way
The longtime NFL assistant coach is replacing former play-caller Ryan Grubb, whose time in Seattle came to an end after only one up-and-down season.
Why is Kubiak the coordinator the Seahawks brought in to help mold the offense in Mike Macdonald’s second season as head coach? Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard shared six reasons the team hired Kubiak on Wednesday during Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
Experience
When the Seahawks hired Grubb last offseason, they were taking a risk of successful college coordinator who had no experience in the NFL. Kubiak provides Seattle with a coach who has previous experience calling plays at the game’s highest level.
Kubiak was the play-caller for the New Orleans Saints last season, the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and for the second half of the 2022 season with the Denver Broncos. Additionally, he’s served as a passing game coordinator, quarterbacks coach and offensive assistant over 11 seasons in the NFL.
The other two known candidates to receive two interviews for the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator role (Detroit’s Hank Fraley and Minnesota’s Grant Udinski) have not called plays in the league.
“(He’s) somebody that has been there and done it, been in the fire, has gained experience both in Minnesota, a short little turn in Denver (and) obviously last year in New Orleans,” Huard said. “… So having that experience and time on task mattered.”
Personnel
The Seahawks were able to take advantage of some of their offensive weapons under Grubb this past season. Much of that came in the passing game where Seattle ranked eighth in the NFL in yardage with a breakout second season from wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba leading the way.
“In some ways, I would say in the plus column for Ryan Grubb, (personnel use) was (a strength),” Huard said. “I mean, JSN got the ball a lot of different, unique ways. DK Metcalf got a lot of one-on-one situations. They used their tight ends in some screens and different ways. So I would say if you were to give a positive for Ryan Grubb, I thought he did a pretty good job of that.”
Related: The Kubiak File: What insiders said about Seattle Seahawks’ new OC
Kubiak has shown that he knows how to adjust his offense to his personnel.
“That also is a carryover of (Kubiak),” Huard said. “So in Minnesota you had three (good) receivers (and) you were in 11 (personnel, which is one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers) quite a bit. In New Orleans, you did not (have three good receivers). Well, you were second fewest in all the league in (using) three-plus receivers. So using what you have on hand and making the most of it is a part of his DNA as well.”
A proven system
Kubiak has deep roots in the highly regarded Shanahan coaching tree that has produced numerous play-callers who have had success at the NFL level, as well as several head coaches. Kubiak’s dad, Gary Kubiak, won three Super Bowls as the offensive coordinator in Denver under Mike Shanahan and another as the head coach of the Broncos in 2016. Klint Kubiak has coached under his dad and Shanahan’s son, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“This is a proven system to take apart defenses in the NFL. This is what Mike Macdonald wanted,” Huard said. “From his perspective as a defensive coordinator … he was going to look at it through those defensive optics of, ‘What is the most difficult thing for me to defend? What keeps me up late at night? What keeps me grinding through the week and preparing for a system and a proven system?’ It’s this system. It’s the Rams. It’s Shanahan. It’s all of the things that come off of it, all of the details that play into it.”
Egoless personality
Huard believes Macdonald’s egoless personality was a big factor in why general manager John Schneider hired him as the head coach last season. He sees Kubiak bringing the same sort of demeanor and thought the way he handled the catastrophic situation when he took over play-calling duties in Denver with Russell Wilson at quarterback in 2022 showed it.
“He was not about himself and covering himself and how do I make sure this doesn’t look bad upon me,” Huard said. “… Nope, this is a lifer in the business. I think his dad, equally, an egoless guy.”
The best option for Geno Smith
After an up-and-down season where he finished fourth in the league in passing yards but also third in interceptions, there’s been plenty of speculation on what the future holds for quarterback Geno Smith with the Seahawks. Huard feels Kubiak is someone who can get the best out of the veteran quarterback.
“If you’re thinking, ‘Well, Pete (Carroll)’s going to pry him away (to the Raiders). It’s time to move on. Well, it’s time to trade him.’ That is not the vibe and that is not the sense that I’ve gotten around that building,” Huard said. “In fact, if you’re going to bring out the best in Geno, if you’re going to calm down the turnovers, if you’re going to calm down the protection, if you’re going to get him into a phase where he is at his best in some of that play action game and creating some space for him and letting him move and create, he’s still capable of doing that.”
“This, from a scheme standpoint, is the best option for Geno Smith,” Huard added.
OL development
The offensive line continued to be an area the Seahawks clearly needed to improve in this past season. Seattle had struggles running the ball and allowed the third most sacks in league. According to Pro Football Focus grading, the team ranked 24th in run blocking and 26th in pass blocking.
“The really, really big key that has been missing for a long, long, long time … is just the developmental piece on your offensive line,” Huard said. “… As (former Dallas Cowboys head coach) Jason Garrett said the other day, this is really with Kubiak a great developmental program. … To actually develop your offensive lineman into difference makers, man, that would be huge.”
Hear the first part of the conversation at this link and the second part here, or listen to the audio players in this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
More on the Seattle Seahawks
• Seattle Seahawks Draft: Could national champion be future QB?
• A Seattle Seahawks player poised to benefit from new OC
• Salk: Why Seattle Seahawks fans are still rooting for Pete Carroll
• Will Seattle Seahawks explore trading Geno Smith to Carroll’s Raiders?
• Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba earns Pro Bowl nod