For the third time in as many years, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is tasked with hiring an offensive coordinator.
Report: Seahawks interviewing 4 in-house candidates for OC
Macdonald’s first OC hire, Ryan Grubb, didn’t pan out. Grubb, Seattle’s OC for 2024, lasted just one up-and-down season at the helm before he was let go. One of Grubb’s biggest problems was his lack of commitment to the run game, which contrasted sharply with the style of football Macdonald wanted to play.
But by all accounts, Macdonald aced his second OC hire in Klint Kubiak.
Under Kubiak this past season, the Super Bowl champion Seahawks finished 11th in points per drive (2.32), sixth in yards per play (5.9) and second in yards per pass attempt (8.4). They allowed just 27 sacks, which was their third-lowest total in franchise history. And their rushing attack found its stride down the stretch, with Seattle ranking 11th in yards per carry (4.5) from Weeks 10-18.
Kubiak’s success earned him the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching job, which once again leaves Seattle with an offensive coordinator opening. But given Macdonald’s experiences from his past two OC searches, Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus is confident in Macdonald’s ability to nail his next hire.
“Mike Macdonald knows exactly what he’s looking for now,” Bumpus said during Wednesday’s Four Down Territory segment on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. “I like that in two years, he’s made mistakes and corrected them. … Didn’t work out with Grubb, you bring in Kubiak, boom, you’re good.
“I think that when you have reached the pinnacle and you have had to go through all these changes and made mistakes and new hires, you’re solid in your beliefs now. You know what works in this league. Now, you’ve got to adjust every single year, because no two years are the same. But the foundation is set and he knows exactly what he’s looking for.”
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Seahawks are interviewing four in-house candidates for their OC job: quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, passing game coordinator Jake Peetz, run game specialist/assistant offensive line coach Justin Outten and tight ends coach Mack Brown.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Seahawks also plan to interview Arizona Cardinals pass game specialist Conner Senger.
“I fully believe that if these four in-house candidates sit down and don’t say the right things and have the right vision, Mike’s going to be like, look, I love you, but I’ve got to look elsewhere,” Bumpus said. “He’s shown that he’s not afraid to make the tough decision. So that’s the best thing about this hunt. … I trust that Mike Macdonald knows exactly what he’s looking for.”
Listen to the full Four Down Territory segment at this link or in the audio player near the bottom of this story. Tune into Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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