SEAHAWKS HIRE RAVENS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE MACDONALD AS THEIR HEAD COACH
The Seattle Seahawks have hired Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as their new head coach, the team announced on Wednesday.
Macdonald, who has quickly made a name for himself in the coaching ranks in the NFL and in college over the past three years, moves on to Seattle after just two years as the Ravens defensive coordinator. The Boston native was previously on the Michigan Wolverines in 2021 with Jim Harbaugh as defensive coordinator before Baltimore hired him for their coordinator position.
“What an honor,” said Macdonald after he and his wife, Stephanie, were greeted by team employees at Seattle’s Virginia Mason Athletic Center. “We are super excited to be here. Just getting to know John [Schneider] and the rest of the folks, the reputation of this place, what drew us here was the people. That’s why we’re here, to bring a championship back to Seattle and the 12s.”
“We’re going to have a lot of fun, we’re going to work our tails off, and it’s going to be an incredible ride. We’re going to be here for a long time, and we’re going to win a lot of football games.”
A Georgia alumnus, Macdonald graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2010 with a BA in finance and began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Bulldogs. He not only received a master’s degree in sport management between 2011 and 2013 while working as Georgia’s defensive quality control assistant but also coached high school football at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens.
Macdonald is just the ninth head coach in Seahawks franchise history, taking over from long-time head coach, Pete Carroll, who the team has retained in an advisory role.
“We want to keep our positive culture,” said General Manager John Schneider. “Everything that’s been created here, everything in this building. There are so many special people in this building. It’s amazing to be on the phone with all of these agents and people that are interested in this position, and to be able to explain to them like, ‘Hey. There’s a foundation here and it’s incredible.’”
At just 36 years old, Macdonald is now the youngest head coach in the league and has reportedly been referred to by some NFL executives as the “defensive Sean McVay.” Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay is widely regarded as one of the best offensive-minded head coaches in recent memory and the Seahawks hope they have a coach with a similar type of impact on the defensive side of the ball.
Macdonald’s system with the Ravens produced a top two overall defense in the NFL and one of the most astute defensive units seen in Baltimore since the Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis, and Ed Reed era. The Ravens led the league in scoring defense this season, allowing just 16.5 points per game, total sacks (60) and finished tied for first in takeaways (31), becoming the first team in NFL history to rank first in all three categories.
A beloved head coach in every locker room he’s been a part of in his career, Macdonald was adored by Ravens players, with some going on record this week about his coaching qualities.
Second-year safety, Kyle Hamilton, said during the Pro Bowl games on Wednesday, “He’s super cerebral, really smart guy, probably the smartest guy in the building – don’t tell him I said that. He’s going to get everybody in the right spots, use everybody’s best abilities and really just conform to what we do best as a defense and as a team.”
“[He’s] a great motivator. He lets the guys lead the room, just a bunch of great qualities for him. Whatever’s coming in his future, he deserves it.”
Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker, Patrick Queen, who is coming off a breakout season told reporters “I think he’s the best candidate out there right now. I don’t think anybody does it like him. Nobody cares like him. Nobody will do what he does. He will not rest until he has everything right.”
“Whoever gets him, if he leaves, they’re getting the best candidate out there. The guy is all-round just the best person I’ve ever been around, coach-wise [and] person-wise. He really cares and truly cares about the players, the people around the organization and the fans.”
The Ravens had seven Pro Bowl selections this year, with Mike Macdonald’s defense producing four of the seven selections; S Kyle Hamilton, LB Patrick Queen, LB Roquan Smith and DT Justin Madubuike. All four players ended up as All-Pros. Under Macdonald, the Ravens also saw the rejuvenation of the careers of veteran outside linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney. Both players registered career-high numbers in 2023, totaling 18.5 sacks between them.
In reaction to Macdonald’s appointment in Seattle, Van Noy, who is set to be a free agent in March, said on social media: “Congrats to Mike Mac, dope he got a head coaching gig with a solid organization! My opinion of Mike in my short time in the building [is that] he embodied everything it was to be a Raven; the mindset, the competitiveness, leadership, and the winning mindset he brought every day. He also did it his own way.”
“[I] was very impressed by him as a coach. Seattle got a good one!”
The Baltimore Ravens will now look for a new defensive coordinator for the second time in 3 years. They do however have many good in-house candidates to replace Macdonald, including assistant head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, linebackers’ coach Zachary Orr and defensive pass game coordinator Chris Hewitt.
Macdonald’s hiring by the Seattle Seahawks is the latest of what is an ongoing coaching exodus from Baltimore after one of their most successful seasons in recent years. Macdonald will now be on another team in 2024, similar to Ravens Director of player personnel, Joe Hortiz who was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers as their new General Manager last week, and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson, who is closing in on a deal with the Tennessee Titans to be their new defensive coordinator.
Wilson was amongst the potential options to replace Mike Macdonald in Baltimore but with an opportunity opening up in Tennessee, he’s now set to join Brian Callahan’s staff. The Titans hired Callahan as their new head coach last week.
With a report by The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec on Wednesday confirming that the Chargers are set to hire long-time Ravens player evaluation and analytics manager, Corey Krawiec, it might be a long offseason for Baltimore as they look to evaluate and readjust after falling short in the AFC Championship game this past week. Krawiec has been with the Ravens analytics staff since 2013.
-Maher Abucheri
Twitter: @pabloikonyero
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