Current:Home > MarketsSeahawks turn to Mike Macdonald, former Ravens defensive coordinator, as new head coach-LoTradeCoin
Seahawks turn to Mike Macdonald, former Ravens defensive coordinator, as new head coach
View Date:2024-12-23 21:05:33
And then there was one.
The Seattle Seahawks have hired Mike Macdonald, 36, as their new head coach. He becomes the youngest coach in the league, supplanting 37-year-old Jerod Mayo of the New England Patriots, who was hired earlier this month. Macdonald also replaces Pete Carroll, 72, who had been the league's oldest coach, in the Pacific Northwest.
With Macdonald headed to Seattle, the Washington Commanders are left as the only team with a vacant HC opening.
Macdonald spent the past two years as defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. For the last 10 seasons, he's been working for the Harbaughs – nine years on Baltimore's staff in various defensive capacities for head coach John Harbaugh but one season (2021) as defensive coordinator for Jim Harbaugh's University of Michigan Wolverines.
Renowned as a bright teacher with great enthusiasm for the game and its players, Macdonald's profile has been steadily on the rise in recent years. The AFC North champion Ravens surrendered the fewest points in the league in 2023, allowing 16.5 points per game. They also led the NFL with 60 sacks and 31 takeaways.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Macdonald likely has a lot of work to do to bring Seattle up to that standard, though he will find talented players in the building. A perennial Super Bowl contender a decade ago with their "Legion of Boom" defense, the Seahawks have regressed greatly, last fielding a top-20 D in 2018. The falloff coincided with ownership's decision to move Carroll into an advisory position after a 14-year run that included two Super Bowl appearances. Carroll and Co. captured the organization's only Lombardi Trophy to cap the 2013 campaign.
Macdonald will inherit a team that also has to decide how long to stick with veteran quarterback Geno Smith, 33, who's under contract for two more seasons. The Seahawks are young and deep at running back. The wideout trio is also strong, though Tyler Lockett, 31, has a nearly $28 million cap hit in 2024, so it's worth wondering if he'll be staying. The offensive line remains suspect but has youthful potential. Defensively, Seattle has a solid group of corners, however Riq Woolen often came off the field – and not for health-related reasons. Linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner, still among the league's elite at 33, are headed for free agency as is D-lineman Leonard Williams. Safety Jamal Adams is a liability in coverage and contractually, hence virtually untradeable.
Plenty of potential here, but a lot of work to do – especially in a division run by the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and with the Los Angeles Rams seemingly rising anew.
***Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.
veryGood! (43)
Related
- Jennifer Lopez Gets Loud in Her First Onstage Appearance Amid Ben Affleck Divorce
- Judge orders former NFL star Adrian Peterson to turn over assets to pay $12M debt
- Attorney for police officer involved in Tyreek Hill case speaks out
- Election in Georgia’s Fulton County to be observed by independent monitor
- College football top five gets overhaul as Georgia, Miami both tumble in US LBM Coaches Poll
- ‘Hellish’ scene unfolds as wildfire races toward California mountain community
- Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce Give Cheeky Shoutout to Taylor Swift Ahead of 2024 MTV VMAs
- Mega Millions winning numbers for massive $800 million jackpot on September 10
- Vermont man is fit to stand trial over shooting of 3 Palestinian college students
- Dave Grohl Reveals He Fathered Baby Outside of Marriage to Jordyn Blum
Ranking
- Joel Embiid injury, suspension update: When is 76ers star's NBA season debut?
- When do the 2024 WNBA playoffs begin? A look at the format, seedings
- When does NHL season start? Key dates for 2024-25
- The Trump campaign falsely accuses immigrants in Ohio of abducting and eating pets
- Isiah Pacheco injury updates: When will Chiefs RB return?
- Hoda Kotb Sends Selena Gomez Supportive Message Amid Fertility Journey
- New CIA workplace assault case emerges as spy agency shields extent of sexual misconduct in ranks
- Khloe Kardashian’s Daughter True Thompson Bonds With Cousin Dream Kardashian in Cute Videos
Recommendation
-
US wholesale inflation picks up slightly in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
-
Apple announces new iPhone 16: What to know about the new models, colors and release date
-
Opening statements are set in the trial of 3 ex-Memphis officers charged in Tyre Nichols’ death
-
Two workers trapped in South Dakota silo are believed killed by toxic gas
-
Will the NBA Cup become a treasured tradition? League hopes so, but it’s too soon to tell
-
Steamship that sunk in 1856 with 132 on board discovered in Atlantic, 200 miles from shore
-
Evan Ross Shares Insight Into “Chaos” of Back to School Time With His and Ashlee Simpson’s Kids
-
When does 'Survivor' Season 47 start? Premiere date, cast, where to watch and stream