Seahawks' John Schneider Reveals Why He Hired 'Huge Brain' Mike Macdonald

In just two seasons, former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald turned the Seattle Seahawks into a Super Bowl champion.

The Seahawks finished 9-8 in 2023, parting ways with former head coach Pete Carroll after the season. Trust was put in general manager John Schneider to find the right candidate, who could turn the team around almost a decade after their previous Super Bowl appearance.

Macdonald was the perfect hire, leading the franchise to its second Lombardi Trophy. And Schneider knew it right after the Seahawks lost 37-3 to the Ravens in 2023.

"We had played Baltimore [in 2023], and it was one of those games where, when the game’s over, you’re kind of like ‘What was that? What just hit us?’ You knew something was really special," Schneider told ESPN's Rich Eisen at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Feb 11, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald holds the Vince Lombardi trophy as general manager John Schneider watches during the Super Bowl LX trophy celebration at Lumen Field. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Baltimore completely stomped the Seahawks in that game. The Ravens outgained the Seahawks 515-151, forced two turnovers and held Seattle to 1 of 12 on third down. It was a defensive blueprint that Schneider knew was destined to take over the league.

The Ravens went to the AFC Championship that year, so the Seahawks' coaching hire was delayed until after they were eliminated.

"Throughout the interview process, we weren’t able to speak with him right away, so I was relying on guys that had interviewed him already … They were all like ‘Your guys’ personalities would really fit, the clarity of communication," Schneider added. "When we sat down for the interview, it was like a two-hour interview that felt like 20 minutes. You could just tell he had a huge brain, was a competitor, wanted to be on the cutting edge of what football was going to look like in the future. That was really what stood out."

Macdonald became the third-youngest head coach (38 years old) to win the Super Bowl, and he calls the plays for a swarming, dominant Seahawks defense. The only team that could puncture it in the latter half of the season and the postseason was Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams.

It took Pete Carroll four seasons to win a title with the Seahawks, but they made it to back-to-back Super Bowls. Macdonald now has to prove that he can keep Seattle at the top of the league for more than one or two seasons.

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