Seahawks Exploring 'Splitting' Offensive Coordinator Duties

As the Seahawks zero in on candidates for their offensive coordinator vacancy, they've at least considered a tag team effort to succeed Ryan Grubb.
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Jonah Jackson goes through drills with assistant coach Hank Fraley during OTA practice Thursday, June 3, 2021, at the Allen Park practice facility.

Liions
Detroit Lions offensive lineman Jonah Jackson goes through drills with assistant coach Hank Fraley during OTA practice Thursday, June 3, 2021, at the Allen Park practice facility. Liions / Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC
In this story:

Wasting little time linking up for a second interview on Tuesday after the top-seeded Detroit Lions bowed out of the playoffs earlier than expected, the Seattle Seahawks have zeroed in on offensive line coach Hank Fraley as a favorite to land their vacant offensive coordinator job.

Oddly enough, Fraley has no prior play calling experience at any level, as he has exclusively been an offensive line coach at both the NFL and college level since retiring as a player in 2011. He hasn't even had the title of run game coordinator, though he was actively involved in developing the Lions' run scheme over the years.

But that hasn't curbed Seattle's interest in Fraley, who has been instrumental in building Detroit's elite offensive line and top-five run game over the past three seasons. Keeping his dearth of play calling experience in mind, per Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer, the team has explored an interesting strategy of "splitting up the job" to help ease him into a new role.

"Since they need a lot of help in the run game, I know they're really intrigued with the idea of bringing Lions line coach Hank Fraley, a much respected assistant in Detroit, aboard as an offensive coordinator, and then having Fraley bring a pass-game coordinator to collaborate with," Breer wrote.

While dividing up offensive coordinator duties between multiple coaches may seem unconventional, the Seahawks wouldn't be partaking in a new concept if they decided to go that route by hiring Fraley. In fact, many NFL teams employ pass and/or run game coordinators or specialists - both titles exist in the league for the same position - who work cooperatively with the offensive coordinator and take some of the burden off the play caller's shoulders.

As just one example of many in the league currently, while former Lions offensive coordinator and recently hired Bears head coach Ben Johnson called plays, Tanner Engstrand served as the team's pass game coordinator each of the past two seasons, playing a key role in Jared Goff's ascent as a top-five caliber quarterback while leading one of the NFL's most potent passing attacks. He likely will now be the favorite to step into Johnson's role moving forward.

Even the Seahawks themselves have deployed a similar setup in recent history from 2011 to 2017, as long-time offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell worked in conjunction with assistant head coach and offensive line coach Tom Cable, who had a collaborative imprint on the run game even without the run game coordinator title attached to his name. During that span, the team finished in the top five in scoring offense and rushing offense four times.

As Breer noted, Fraley has stood out to Seattle's decision makers as a prime candidate due to the team's dreadful performance in the run game last season. With Ryan Grubb at the helm, the team ranked 28th in rushing yards and 29th in rushing attempts, with the latter number being the one that bothered coach Mike Macdonald the most over the course of the season with the offense failing to play complementary football as desired.

With Fraley heavily involved in building Detroit's run game concepts and coaching up the likes of All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell and center Frank Ragnow, the Lions finished sixth in rushing yards and second in rushing touchdowns in 2024. In the season prior, they ranked fifth in rushing yards and led the league in rushing touchdowns, and they finished a respectable 11th in rushing yards and third in rushing touchdowns in 2023.

Previously a defensive coordinator for the Ravens, who have boasted a top-five rushing attack in seven consecutive seasons, Macdonald wants to emulate his former employer in the Pacific Northwest, developing a tough, physical offense that wants to run the football and does so effectively. Given Fraley's track record, including helping Adrian Peterson and the Vikings finish fourth in rushing yards as an assistant line coach in 2015, he seems like the perfect fit to fulfill that goal.

However, it's also understandable why Seattle wouldn't want to give Fraley the keys to the offense without a seasoned play caller offering support and mentorship as a pass game coordinator, especially after Grubb failed without a run game coordinator in tandem. Breer floated the idea of veteran assistant Scott Turner, who has five years of prior experience as an offensive coordinator with the Panthers, Commanders, and Raiders, as a possible partner to pair with him as he adapts to being a first-time play caller.

Interestingly, this would mirror what the Seahawks did with Macdonald as a first-time head coach, bringing Leslie Frazier on board as an assistant head coach with more than 25 years of experience in the NFL, including as a head coach for the Vikings.

From Fraley's perspective, such a setup shouldn't come as a surprise, and reports indicate that he has been putting out feelers for potential pass game coordinators from the jump, so he clearly expected teams to pitch a partnership at offensive coordinator, at least to start. At the same time, if Macdonald and general manager John Schneider have their own names in mind that don't match up with his list, that could be a sticking point in potential negotiations.

With that said, if Fraley wants to be a play caller, the Seahawks remain arguably his best option for him to make that leap. If he teams back up with Johnson in Chicago, he will be little more than an offensive line coach with a promoted title and higher salary, while joining Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in New York or New Orleans would not present the talent to work with out of the gate, which would make it tougher to be successful.

Staying in Detroit also remains an option for Fraley, though recent reports suggest Dan Campbell prefers either Engstrand or quarterback coach Mark Brunell as Johnson's replacement. If he were to take any of those other jobs, Seattle would have to shift back to Klint Kubiak or Grant Udinski, the two other candidates who have interviewed twice with the team so far.

Regardless of where Fraley lands, if he does have the opportunity to finally call plays for the Seahawks or elsewhere, it likely won't be without some assistance from a pass game coordinator. But as Macdonald can attest with Frazier by his side in his first season as head coach, that shouldn't be viewed as a negative and recent history shows such an arrangement can pay major dividends for the growth of a young coach.

More Seahawks News

Clock Ticking For Seahawks to Land Desired Offensive Coordinator

Seahawks 2024 Season Awards: Surprise TE Wins Offensive Rookie of the Year

Seahawks, Lions O-Line Coach to Meet For Second Offensive Coordinator Interview

Ranking Seahawks Free Agents: Who Should Be Prioritized to Re-Sign?

Is Byron Leftwich Dark Horse to Land Seahawks' Offensive Coordinator Job?


Published |Modified
Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.