Pete Carroll Head Coach Of Seattle Seahawks, Was Suspended
Leslie Frazier, who has over 20 years of NFL coaching experience under his belt, will be a great asset to the Seattle Seahawks coaching staff, which is full of coaches starting in new positions for the first time, including head coach Mike Macdonald.
Since selecting Mike McDonald to take Pete Carroll’s place as head coach, the Seattle Seahawks have shown that they value experience above all else when it comes to assembling their new coaching staff.
In addition to Macdonald, the Seahawks also formally announced the hirings of defensive coordinator Aden Durde, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, and special teams coach Jay Harbaugh on Tuesday. With these additions, the coaching staff now has four coaches who are starting their careers at the NFL level. While Grubb, Durde, and Harbaugh have all served as coordinators at lower levels but never in the NFL, Macdonald has never held a head coaching position.
Combining zero years of previous experience in their current positions on NFL staffs, Seattle has clearly chosen to engage in a bold experiment, giving Macdonald, Grubb, and company the keys to the team. While there is always risk involved in selecting a new head coach, general manager John Schneider and the ownership group have more than doubled down by approving the coordinator choices, selecting potential over experience for almost every position thus far.
But before selecting an offensive or defensive coordinator, Macdonald smartly focused on convincing an old friend to join him in the Pacific Northwest, knowing that growing pains would inevitably accompany that shift. Realizing the importance of experience, he contacted his longtime NFL defensive coordinator and mentor, Leslie Frazier, who was the head coach of the Vikings before. He asked to become an assistant head coach.
With 24 years of NFL coaching experience under his belt, Frazier signed a contract with the Seahawks over three other interested clubs, citing his relationship with Macdonald from their time together on the Ravens in 2016.
Regarding Frazier, Macdonald stated, “I’ve had a relationship with Les for a long time,” on Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports 710 on Monday. He’s obviously had an amazing career in the NFL, coaching strong defenses, leading teams, and being a member of the Bears 85. He is incredibly knowledgeable, and I greatly admire both his demeanor and the football expertise he possesses.”
Frazier has been one of the NFL’s best defensive brains for more than 20 years. He is well-liked in coaching circles for his work between the lines and his generosity off the field. Primarily a superb educator, he has led four top-10 scoring defenses over his remarkable career, with the majority of those victories coming during his most recent posting in Buffalo.
From 2017 to 2022, defensive coordinator Frazier collaborated with head coach Sean McDermott to lead the Bills to an unprecedented championship. The squad finished in the top five in passing defense three times, in the top ten in turnovers created in all six of his seasons as head coach, and in first or second place in scoring defense three times in a four-year span.
Frazier gained notoriety early in his coaching career by studying under legendary coaches like Tony Dungy and Marvin Lewis, long before he attended Buffalo. His first big break came in 2010, when the team dismissed Brad Childress midway through the season and named Frazier as his replacement. After guiding the Vikings’ 10th-ranked scoring defense in 2009, he eventually converted the interim tag into a four-year run as head coach.
Having the seasoned coaching veteran on hand as a resource will be extremely helpful for Macdonald, who collaborated closely with Frazier in his capacity as a defensive assistant in Baltimore in 2016. This will help McDonald’s navigate the difficulties of being a first-time head coach.
