Seattle Seahawks Coach Mike Macdonald Victorious in Head Coaching Debut

Thanks to a stingy defense and a 17-point surge in the second half, Mike Macdonald is 1-0 as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

Sep 8, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald is taking home some hardware after his team pulled out a 26-20 win against the Denver Broncos in Week 1 at Lumen Field.

Macdonald was awarded a game ball from quarterback Geno Smith in the locker room, and the coach described his feelings after the contest when speaking with local media.

"Yeah, it was awesome," Macdonald said about the win and game ball. "You know, I accept it on behalf of everybody. It's special. Obviously our first win. It hasn't hit me -- it's like hit me and it's cool, but probably hasn't hit me yet. So maybe in a silent moment it'll come. It was special, man. I love our guys. They're bought in. They've done everything we asked them to do. Thought Geno played a heck of a game just sticking in it and executing the game plan and playing on time."

Macdonald was one of eight head coaches to debut with their team on Sunday, but only he, Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers) and Jerod Mayo (New England Patriots) came away with victories.

Macdonald was happy with the win, but he remains unsatisfied with his focus shifting towards the future.

"One win, awesome, but we need to go do it again next week," Macdonald said.

The Seahawks will celebrate this win for what it is worth — a tone setter, a step in the right direction, and perhaps most importantly, a lead in the NFC West (for now).

The Seahawks will begin to prepare for Week 2 when they travel to face the New England Patriots.