There’s a new head coach in the NFC West, and he just happens to be the youngest in the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks are hiring Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as their next head coach, replacing Pete Carroll, who is stepping into a new role within the organization.
Macdonald is only 36 years old, making him the youngest head coach in the NFL. Only he and Jerod Mayo, who was also hired this offseason, are younger than Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.
Macdonald got his start in the NFL as a coaching intern with the Ravens in 2014, rising the ranks until he became the team’s linebackers coach from 2018-2020. He left to become Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2021 but returned to the Ravens as their DC in 2022.
A youth movement in Seattle: Seahawks are expected to hire Ravens’ defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as their new head coach, league sources tell ESPN. They’re still finalizing the deal, but Seattle has its man.
At 36, Macdonald now becomes the NFL’s youngest head coach. pic.twitter.com/uZ3vbXTS4n
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 31, 2024
The Rams faced Macdonald’s defense in 2023 and had some success, putting up 410 total yards and 31 points in a narrow 37-31 overtime loss in Baltimore. Matthew Stafford threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns, while Kyren Williams rushed for 114 yards.