Mike Macdonald Reveals the One Lesson Both Harbaugh Brothers Taught Him

On Marshawn Lynch's podcast, Macdonald broke down what made both Harbaugh brothers so effective, and how their team-first mindset shaped his own approach.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald during the first training camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mike Macdonald has enjoyed quick success as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. In just his second season, he led them to a Super Bowl win, which was the second in their franchise history. Entering his third season, Macdonald is hungry for another title, and as we could tell during Hard Knocks, he has the full respect of his players.

For those who paid attention, Macdonald's success isn't surprising. Before heading to Seattle, he worked with both Jim and John Harbaugh, where he learned about winning. Recently he joined Marshawn Lynch and Michael Robinson on Playmaker’s Da Get Got Pod and discussed what he learned from the Harbaughs about getting the most out of their players.

“It’s impossible to understate it. We talk about old-school principles, new-school methods. They’re about the same stuff. Tough as nails. Competitive as crap. Team first. They love their players. That’s probably the number one thing that sticks out. They have their players’ backs at all times. And I think the players feel that,” Macdonald said.

“That’s what makes their team so tight. Their players play so hard for them. But they go about it different ways. Jim… we’re not going to go right here, we’re going to take a detour and end up further. It’s just going to look a little different. John is a little bit more [direct] all the time, which is a little bit more my personality. Man, I loved working for those guys.”

Mike Macdonald says John Harbaugh and Jim Harbaugh taught him why players play so hard for certain coaches

“It’s impossible to understate it. We talk about old-school principles, new-school methods. They’re about the same stuff.”

“Tough as nails. Competitive as crap. Team… pic.twitter.com/7OZwqqTmev

— Josh Chambers (@JoshChambers) September 3, 2026

The Harbaugh brothers are both wildly successful, with John winning Super Bowl XLVII with the Baltimore Ravens. His team secured that victory over Jim Harbaugh, who was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

Jim also has a championship of his own, winning the National Championship as the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines following the 2023 season. While both have had plenty of success with their schematic approaches, the Harbaughs are best known for getting the most out of every player, which is something Macdonald has been able to do. A perfect example of this is Sam Darnold, who bounced around the NFL before winning a title this past season with Seattle.

Seahawks have a Harbaugh on their current staff

Seattle Seahawks special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Macdonald is no longer working for a Harbaugh, but he has one on his current staff.

When he took over as the head coach of the Seahawks, Macdonald hired Jay Harbaugh, the son of Jim Harbaugh, as his special teams coordinator. Jay was on staff with his uncle when they won their Super Bowl against the 49ers, and was with his father for the national title run in 2023 at Michigan.

He now has a second Super Bowl ring after helping Seattle win against New England this past season. Jay is widely viewed as a potential head coaching candidate and if he's anything like his father and uncle, or even Macdonald, there's no reason to believe he won't have plenty of success.

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