The Seattle Seahawks met for the first time with head coaching candidate Mike McDonald on Tuesday, and the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator is currently in Washington state for his second interview.
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NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported that McDonald was called to meet with Seahawks leaders in Seattle on Wednesday, a day after the two sides met in Baltimore. The Seahawks have already held second interviews with a number of candidates, making McDonald the latest addition to the fray.
“Right now, he’s going through the same expanded process as any other candidate,” Pelissero said of McDonald.
McDonald, 36, is one of the hottest names in this year’s coaching cycle and is considered a top candidate to be the Seahawks’ next head coach. McDonald’s Ravens had the best defense in the NFL in 2023, ranking first in points allowed, takeaways and sacks.
McDonald has been with the Ravens since 2014, all but one year as a defensive assistant under head coach John Harbaugh. His one year away from Baltimore began in 2021 when he served as defensive coordinator at Michigan under Jim, John Harbaugh’s brother and current head coach. Los Angeles Chargers.
The Seahawks had reported interest in McDonald for some time, but were unable to formally interview him until after Baltimore was eliminated from the playoffs. That’s due to the timing of the Seahawks’ parting ways with former head coach Pete Carroll, as well as a new NFL rule change that limits how teams can talk to coaches participating in the playoffs. Because the Ravens received a bye in the first round of the playoffs and the Hawks parted ways with Carroll on Wednesday, Jan. 10, Seattle was not allowed to speak with McDonald until after Baltimore was eliminated from the AFC Championship on Sunday.
The Seahawks are one of only two teams without a head coach, along with the Washington Commanders. Managers have also met with McDonald and have met with former Seahawks and current Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn three times, with Quinn meeting twice with Seattle for their head coaching vacancy. He is one of the few candidates known to have done so. Many thought Quinn would take over as coach of the Seahawks due to his familiarity with the team and front office, as well as his previous head coaching experience.
If the Seahawks hire McDonald, they will be hiring their first head coach to replace Carroll, the winningest and most accomplished head coach in franchise history. In his 14 years, Carroll’s teams reached the playoffs 10 times, five of which resulted in an NFC West title, two Super Bowl appearances, and one championship.
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