Seahawks Analysis: Grading Mike Macdonald’s Coaching Staff Hires….

Now closing in on three weeks on the job, new Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has been busy assembling his first staff with eight assistant coaches officially announced and four others reported.

With Macdonald’s staff in Seattle starting to take shape heading towards a new league year, how has he fared with his hires so far? Here are quick grades for each official and reported hire based on prior track record, experience, and overall fit:

Leslie Frazier, Assistant Head Coach

Grade: A-

In terms of hiring a mentor who has been through the rigors of being a head coach and defensive coordinator in the league and commanded the utmost respect from everyone they have worked alongside, Macdonald couldn’t have done better persuading Frazier to join his staff over three other interested teams. Set to enter his 25th season as an NFL assistant, he has coached some of the stingiest defenses in the modern era, including leading the Bills to a top-two scoring defense in three of his final four seasons with the organization and six straight years with a defense in the top-10 in turnovers created. Without having to wear the play caller hat in Seattle, he will serve as an invaluable asset with a first-time head coach and three first-time coordinators who will need guidance navigating challenging new roles.

Ryan Grubb, Offensive Coordinator

Grade: B+

Lacking experience in the NFL in any capacity, Grubb stands out as the biggest unknown of Macdonald’s hires and there may be a path to unmitigated disaster here if he doesn’t adapt well to the pro game. But he’s been a winner at every place he has coached at the college level and may have the highest ceiling of any of Seattle’s new assistants. First cutting his teeth as an offensive line coach, his presence should immediately help a front line that has struggled in pass protection for much of the past decade. Also having an extensive background coaching quarterbacks and running backs, teaming him up with Geno Smith and a bevy of weapons such as Ken Walker III, DK Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett has a chance to be a lethal combination if he can successfully modify his scheme to attack NFL defenses.

Aden Durde, Defensive Coordinator

Grade: B-

While Durde hasn’t been a coordinator in the league either, he has been ascending up the coaching ladder learning from Dan Quinn and Raheem Morris as an assistant with the Falcons and Cowboys over the past five seasons and achieved great success as a positional coach. In Atlanta, he coached a pair of 100-tackle linebackers in Deion Jones and Foyesade Oluokun, who has become a star in Jacksonville since a breakout 2020 season. In three seasons as defensive line coach in Dallas, Micah Parsons emerged as one of the NFL’s elite defenders, Demarcus Lawrence made two Pro Bowls, and Osa Odighizuwa transformed into a viable starting defensive tackle under his watch. How that success translates to the coordinator role in Seattle remains up in the air, but he’s another young coach with a diverse background and plenty of upside.

Jay Harbaugh, Special Teams Coordinator