Mike Macdonald, Seahawks Build Strong Contingency Plans With Fortified Coaching Staff

Paying the heavy toll that comes as a mandatory cost of winning in the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks expectedly have suffered significant coaching departures after defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, headlined by the immediate exit of offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to accept the head coaching job for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Losing Kubiak, who helped steer a top-three scoring offense quarterbacked by Sam Darnold in his lone season calling plays for the Seahawks, won’t be an easy task for the organization. In addition, former quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko followed him to Vegas, taking over as the Raiders new offensive coordinator, leaving two major vacancies for coach Mike Macdonald to fill in quick order. Such staff turnover plays a big role in the struggle to repeat in the league, as only two teams have won back-to-back Super Bowls since 2001.

Fortunately for Seattle, however, Macdonald has grown leaps and bounds when it comes to evaluating coaching talent and building/maintaining a staff since the franchise first hired him as a first-time head coach in 2024. Already having experience hiring two offensive coordinators, he had a clear objective in mind seeking Kubiak’s replacement, emphasizing the desire for continuity while still keeping all options on the table with both internal and external candidates in the mix.