Can new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald re-create winning culture in Seattle?

National Football League

Published Jan. 31, 2024 3:24 p.m. ET

The Seattle Seahawks showed they were willing to be patient in their head coaching search. And general manager John Schneider appears to have found a partner to lead the franchise on the field after moving on from Pete Carroll.

According to multiple reports, the Seahawks are expected to sign Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to a six-year deal. Macdonald becomes the ninth head coach in franchise history, and at age 36, he will be the youngest head coach in the league, half the age of the man he’s succeeding.

Seattle underwent a thorough search to replace the most successful coach in franchise history. Those interviews included Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Macdonald.

Schneider took his time, trying to make sure he got it right. Remember that before Seattle landed Carroll in January 2010, the Seahawks labored through a 5-11 campaign in Jim Mora Jr.’s lone season as head coach after he replaced the retiring Mike Holmgren in 2009.

Macdonald served as Baltimore’s DC for two seasons. In 2023, the Ravens led the league in sacks (60) and points allowed per game (16.5). That’s a big get for Schneider as the Seahawks look to improve an underperforming defense.

However, it’s also a significant risk for the Seahawks to turn the franchise over to someone who has never worked as head coach or has a proven track record of building a consistent winner. And it’s also fair to question what kind of coaching staff Macdonald can bring in based on his relationships and networking around the league.

That said, Schneider had an opportunity to reimagine the way they do things in Seattle, and he appears to have done that with Macdonald.

Here are a couple questions the new coach will have to answer in his first offseason on the job.

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How will Macdonald fix the defense?

Even with a defensive guru leading them, the Seahawks struggled on that side of the ball the past two seasons — specifically defending the run. Seattle allowed 138.4 rushing yards a contest in 2023, No. 31 in the NFL.

Fixing the defense would appear to be Macdonald’s easiest task, based on how his Ravens unit performed last season. Baltimore held opponents to 301.6 total yards a game in 2023, No. 6 in the NFL. The Ravens also finished tied for the league lead in takeaways with 31.

Taking the ball away had been a staple of Carroll’s defenses over the years, and ideally the Seahawks would like to get back to that ball-hawk mentality.

Macdonald’s defense also performed well against teams in the NFC West. The Ravens held the San Francisco 49ers to 19 points and forced four Brock Purdy turnovers on the road in a runaway win on Christmas Day. Baltimore also beat the Rams in overtime in Week 14, with the defense recording eight tackles for loss and 10 QB hits.

What kind of OC will Macdonald bring in to lead the offense?

While fixing Seattle’s defense should be in Macdonald’s wheelhouse, finding an offense coordinator to jump-start an offense that had become stagnant under offensive coordinator Shane Waldron could prove a tougher task.

Quarterback Geno Smith earned his second straight Pro Bowl nod but struggled at times to consistently move the football. And Seattle did not effectively run the football to create balance on offense, another staple of earlier Carroll-led teams.

The Seahawks have playmakers on offense in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ken Walker III, but finding a coach to consistently create innovative ways to get those playmakers the ball in space should be a priority for Macdonald.

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How will Macdonald overcome his lack of head coaching experience?

Schneider passed up far more experienced options — including Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel and former Seahawks DC Quinn — for a younger candidate with upside.

It’s debatable if that was the right decision, based on where the franchise sits presently in the NFC West. Macdonald will have to get up to speed quickly to compete with coaching heavyweights Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay within the division.

Does Macdonald have what it takes to build relationships with players and create a sustainable, championship environment in Seattle? It’s hard to know because he’s never done it. In a similar situation, we recently saw defensive guru Brandon Staley fail miserably as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers.

However, Macdonald will have the experienced Schneider to lean on, and with a six-year deal, he has some time to grow into the job. Still, there will be pressure to build a team expected to compete for the playoffs starting in 2024.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.