Seahawks Announce 15 Additions to Mike Macdonald's Coaching Staff
After a week of various reports linking coaches to the organization, the Seattle Seahawks officially announced the addition of 15 assistants to head coach Mike Macdonald's 2024 coaching staff on Thursday.
Headlining the group, Seattle hired Jake Peetz as its new pass game coordinator and signed seven positional coaches, including running back coach Kennedy Polamalu, quarterback coach Charles London, safeties coach Jeff Howard, and outside linebackers coach Chris Partridge.
Jumping from one rival to another in the NFC West, Peetz spent the past two seasons as a pass game specialist for the Rams. Prior to going to Los Angeles, he served as offensive coordinator for LSU in 2021 and spent two seasons with the Panthers as a running back and quarterback coach. Additionally, he had two separate stints on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama and coached for the Jaguars and Raiders in the NFL.
Changing zip codes in the NFC West, Jake Peetz will take over as Seattle's new pass game coordinator, teaming up with new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.
Along with being paired with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, Peetz will work extensively with London, who comes to Seattle after three seasons as a quarterback coach in Atlanta and Tennessee. The former Duke running back previously coached his natural position for seven seasons with Chicago and Houston, where he learned under current Boston College head coach Bill O'Brien.
Taking over as Seattle's new quality control coach and providing an extra resource for Grubb and London, former Arizona State and Boise State offensive coordinator Zak Hill will return to the Pacific Northwest. The former Central Washington star threw 76 touchdown passes in his college career before jumpstarting his coaching journey as a pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Eastern Washington.
Joining Peetz and London, the 60-year old Polamalu brings an impressive resume with him to the Pacific Northwest. Coaching running backs for the Browns, Jaguars, Vikings, and most recently the Raiders, backs have hit the 1,000-yard mark under his tutelage seven times, including Josh Jacobs eclipsing 1,600 yards and winning the NFL rushing title in Las Vegas two seasons ago. He also coached special teams on former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll's staff at USC from 2001 to 2003.
Inheriting arguably Seattle's most talented position group, former Panthers and Steelers receiver coach Frisman Jackson will take over the same role to work with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Over the past four seasons, he has coached three different 1,000-yard receivers, including rising star George Pickens last season in Pittsburgh.
Assisting Jackson, the Seahawks hired Tyson Prince, who previously worked with Grubb as an offensive quality control coach at Washington in 2022. Last season, he was Sacramento State's pass game coordinator and receivers coach at the FCS level and he previously coached with Grubb at Fresno State.
In the trenches, Seattle added quite the mentor for offensive line coach Scott Huff by hiring long-time NFL offensive line coach Brendan Nugent as an assistant. With nearly two decades of coaching experience in the pros, he most recently worked on Brandon Staley's staff as the Chargers offensive line coach the past two years and previously held the same position with the Saints from 2015 to 2021.
The Seahawks also will bring former Jets offensive assistant Mack Brown into the mix as the team's new tight end coach. Spending his past five seasons in New York, he coached tight ends and receivers in three seasons on Robert Saleh's staff and primarily worked with linebackers in two seasons as a defensive assistant on Adam Gase's staff. Before jumping to the league, he served as an offensive coordinator at Missouri State for three seasons after a trio of seasons at Missouri as a graduate assistant.
Taking over as safeties coach, Howard brings a wealth of experience coaching multiple positions to Macdonald's staff. Prior to coaching linebackers with the Chargers last season, he spent three years with the Browns as a pass game coordinator, helping the team finish in the top five in passing defense in 2021 and 2022. He received his first chance to coach in the league with the Vikings in 2013, working for Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier for one season and remaining on Mike Zimmer's staff through 2019 as a defensive assistant.
Teaming up with inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti, who came over from Green Bay last month, Partridge will take over as outside linebackers coach, the same post he held at Michigan last season. He will be making his first jump to the NFL after previously being a defensive coordinator at Ole Miss for three seasons and working multiple roles at Michigan for five seasons, spending time on the staff with current special teams coach Jay Harbaugh.
Working in conjunction with defensive coordinator Aden Durde, the Seahawks added Justin Hinds as their new defensive line coach. Formerly a defensive coordinator at Western Carolina at the FCS level, he spent the past two seasons as the Bears assistant defensive line coach.
Filling out the defensive staff, former Ravens linebacker Josh Bynes will begin his coaching career as an assistant linebacker coach alongside Olivadotti and Partridge, while ex-Alabama safety and Falcons assistant Nick Perry will reunite with pass game coordinator Karl Scott, who he coached with on Nick Saban's staff in Tuscaloosa. The team also hired Rob Caprice as a defensive intern after three years as a graduate assistant at Tennessee.
