Mike Macdonald set to lead Seahawks into Super Bowl vs. Patriots

Macdonald had a passion for coaching. He coached the linebackers and running backs at Cedar Shoals in 2008-09. After some determination and zeal, he was hired as a graduate assistant at the University of Georgia in 2010.

“It took me about two years of knocking on the door and shout out to Joe Tereshinski III, he helped me get that opportunity. Coach (Mark) Richt took a chance on me. He didn’t need to do it. … I was a high school football coach in the area with no connections.”

Richt saw something in the eager Macdonald.

“I felt like I kind of wanted to make him right by giving me those chances,” Macdonald said. “So, I love coach Richt when you talk about people that you look up to, that walk the walk and talk the talk.”

Richt’s genuineness grew on Macdonald, and that was one of the lessons he used to jump-start his coaching career.

“He’s definitely really the first person that I saw, and I was like, man, this guy, he’s the real deal,” Macdonald said. “He backs up what he says. The players loved him. He’s about the right stuff. I love coach Richt.”

After being a defensive quality-control coach from 2011-13, Macdonald landed his first NFL job with Ravens as a coaching intern in 2014.

He was a defensive assistant (2015-16) and then coached defensive backs (2017) and linebackers (2018-20) before landing the job as defensive coordinator at Michigan (2021).

“To have people in your life — like (former Ravens head coach) John and (former Michigan head coach) Jim Harbaugh — to have faith in you that you can go do a job like that gives you a lot of confidence,” Macdonald said. “I think going into that opportunity, I had a vision for what I wanted to be able to create on defense that was aligned with how Jim wanted his team to roll.”

The Wolverines went 12-2, made the College Football Playoffs and boasted a top-10 defense.

After one season, Macdonald went back to the Ravens as their defensive coordinator (2022-23).

But the Michigan year was important to his future head coaching aspirations.

“Then showing that you can go do it,” Macdonald said. “That you can go align to people and go chase a common goal. That was a really specially connected and tough football team.”

He gained confidence from that Michigan year.

“OK, this is what works,” Macdonald said. “This is a formula that you can apply to another group.”

His Ravens units were ranked fourth and first in the NFL in fewest points allowed. He interviewed with the Seahawks, Falcons, Panthers, Titans, Chargers and Commanders after the 2024 season.

The Falcons interviewed Macdonald to replace Arthur Smith as head coach after the 2023 season, but they chose Raheem Morris and Macdonald landed with the Seahawks, who went 10-7 last season.

“We talk about (playing) 12 as one,” Macdonald said. “We’re going to do it together. There’s synergy. It’s going to feel like hopefully that you’re playing more than 11 guys. We’re talking about style that nobody wants to play: decisive, shocking and relentless.”

The Seahawks, who traded quarterback Geno Smith to the Raiders and signed Sam Darnold in free agency, opened the season with a 17-13 loss to the 49ers.

“Throughout OTAs (organized team activities) and throughout camp, we felt like we had a special team,” defensive tackle Leonard Williams said. “We felt like we had the guys in the building to get the job done. We felt like there was an urgency to get the job done right now.

“A big turning point was when we lost to the 49ers in Week 1. The feeling that we had in the locker room was not sadness or anger, it was an understanding of what we had and what we had to do to move forward and get the job done.”

The Seahawks won six of their next seven games and made a trade to acquire the speedy Rashid Shaheed from the Saints on Nov. 4.

“I think about the time we traded for Rashid Shaheed, I think we won a game where he returned a kick (100 yards against the Falcons),” Williams said. “We were doing good on offense. We were doing good on defense. I said, ‘OK, we finally have a complete team.’ We were good in all three phases (offense, defense and special teams).”

The Seahawks went on to post at 14-3 mark, which included a 37-9 dismantling of the Falcons on Dec. 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Seahawks pummeled the 49ers 41-6 in the divisional round and beat the Rams 31-27 in the NFC championship game.

“It’s the synergy of our group,” Macdonald said. “So, when you play together and you really try to create it like you’re playing against more than 11 guys, well, to me, that’s what we want our fingerprint to be and our identity.”