The Seattle Seahawks finished 14-3, won the NFC West, and dominated the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl XLIX to lift their second Lombardi Trophy. At 38, Mike Macdonald became the third-youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl, behind Sean McVay and Mike Tomlin.
Two weeks later, the confetti hasn’t even fully settled, and he’s already fielding heat over his first major offseason move.
With the ink barely dry on the championship, Macdonald confirmed that offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was headed to Las Vegas as the Raiders’ new head coach. That left a vacancy at one of the most important seats in the building.
Macdonald has hired Brian Fleury to this key position, but the replacement has raised significant eyebrows, as Fleury has no prior experience in play-calling.
Mike Macdonald goes candid after hiring Brian Fleury as Seahawks’ offensive coordinator
After days of rumors that Seattle would promote an internal candidate, the Seahawks instead hired Brian Fleury from the San Francisco 49ers.
Feb 4, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald speaks to the media at the San Jose Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Feb 4, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald speaks to the media at the San Jose Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Fleury spent seven seasons in San Francisco, working his way up from a defensive quality-control coach in 2019 to the 49ers’ tight ends coach and run game coordinator in 2025.
While he played quarterback in college, he has never called offensive plays at any level. This lack of experience makes the hire a significant gamble for a defending championship team.
Macdonald didn’t shy away from that fact at Thursday’s introductory presser,saying, “I do think it’s a bit overrated. All play-callers have to be first-time play-callers at some point.”
#Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald on hiring an OC with no previous play-calling experience:
“I do think it’s a bit overrated. All play-callers have to be first-time play-callers at some point.”
(🎥 @Seahawks) pic.twitter.com/9tbUio3h4o
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 20, 2026
He backed the hire with conviction, citing Fleury’s command of scheme detail and his vision for the roster as the deciding factors.
“I have not called offensive plays, but have always been preparing to,” Fleury later said, explaining that play-calling is largely a preparation exercise — building situational call sheets ahead of time and then processing information in real time. He also put the roster itself front and center.
“There is a lot of talent,” Fleurysaid. “There’s not many things to fix, quite honestly. They already play a way that is visible on the silent tape. You can see the culture on the film, so I’m excited to work with that and continue to build it.”
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Following the Super Bowl victory, the Seahawks return the core of the NFL’s most productive offense. It’s a loaded skill group — but some fans weren’t sold on handing the keys to a first-time play-caller. However, Macdonald’s explanation forced folks to change their opinion.
Fans react to Mike Macdonald’s confession on the new hire
So, Macdonald found many on social media who are backing his logic.
One fan wrotesimply, “He’s right, you gotta lose ur virginity somehow.”
Another oneadded, “Absolutely agree! Every play-caller starts somewhere, right? Just look at Sean McVay, he was a first-time head coach and now has a Super Bowl ring. It’s all about vision and adaptability.”
A thirdnoted, “Fair point, everyone has a first time. The real question is whether the system and roster can support that learning curve.”
The fourth fanadded, “To a certain degree I agree, but not every first-time play-caller is calling plays for the team that just won the Super Bowl.”
Fleury knows the system that’s already in place, which, at the end of the day, may be exactly why Macdonald pulled the trigger.