Mike Macdonald, a former defensive coordinator for the Ravens, was named the ninth head coach in the history of the Seahawks on Wednesday. Pete Carroll, the most successful coach in franchise history, is replaced by Macdonald, who plans to continue the winning ways the team saw under Carroll and general manager/executive vice president John Schneider.
When team members welcomed Macdonald and his wife Stephanie at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, he exclaimed, “What an honor.” “We couldn’t be happier to be here. We were drawn to this place by the people, even before we got to know John and the other residents. To bring a championship back to Seattle and the 12s is the reason we are here.
We’re going to work extremely hard, have a great time, and experience an amazing journey. We’re going to have a great football season and stay here for a very long time.”
Here are five noteworthy statistics regarding the new head coach of the Seahawks:
1
The team with the most takeaways, sacks, and scoring defense in NFL history. That team was, of course, the 2023 Ravens, who saw just 16.5 points per game allowed while amassing 60 sacks and 31 takeaways while playing under Macdonald’s direction.
36
Macdonald’s age, making him the NFL’s youngest head coach. Despite his lack of experience, Macdonald did begin his career as a graduate assistant at Georgia and joined the Ravens in the NFL in 2014.
4
Macdonald’s defense featured three All-Pro defensive players in 2023: defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and linebacker Patrick Queen, who were selected to the second team, and safety Kyle Hamilton and linebacker Roquan Smith, who were named to the first team.
2
Macdonald has worked for the Harbaugh brothers, having spent the majority of his tenure in Baltimore on John Harbaugh’s staff. In 2021, he took on the role of defensive coordinator at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh.
11
This season, 17 of the Ravens’ opponents have scored fewer than 20 points, including the NFC West champion 49ers, who lost to the Ravens by 14 points despite scoring 19 points and committing five turnovers. In addition, the Ravens limited five opponents to single-digit point totals: the Browns (3), the nine-win Seahawks (3), and the playoff-bound Lions (6 points).
