Seahawks Coaching Search: 5 Candidates Earn Second Interviews

Reportedly, five candidates have advanced to the second round of interviews in the Seattle Seahawks' coaching search.

The Seattle Seahawks' first coaching search in 14 years is well underway, and despite interview requests still coming in, the team has zeroed in on a handful of candidates.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Seahawks are working to set up second interviews with five different candidates. 

That list includes Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, and perhaps most notably, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

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Since Pete Carroll and the Seahawks parted ways on Jan. 10, Quinn has been the most-discussed candidate to replace him. Much of that discussion owes to his past with the franchise, as he served as the Seahawks defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014, nearly leading the "Legion of Boom" defense to back-to-back Super Bowl victories. Quinn, 53, also coached the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020, leading them to a Super Bowl LI appearance, and has led a resurgent Cowboys defense over the past three years.

Even with Quinn dominating discussion, the Seahawks' coaching search is still wide open and the other candidates listed deserve attention as well.

For example, Evero's defense was one of the Panthers' only redeeming qualities this season, as the team finished fourth in yards allowed. Evero, 43, also did great work with the Denver Broncos' defense the year before, leading to him getting a few looks at head-coaching opportunities in this cycle.

Graham, 44, helped the Raiders' defense improve dramatically this season, his first in Sin City. He has been a defensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins, the Giants and now the Raiders, so he could very well make the jump to being a head coach next.

Kafka, 36, is the lone offensive mind in the group, and with the Giants finishing 29th in total offense, he may seem like a strange choice. However, his offense was decimated by injuries this season, so it's not entirely fair to judge him for the unit's struggles. Before coming to the Big Apple, Kafka previously worked as a quarterbacks coach with the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Morris, 47, is the only coach of the group besides Quinn to have previous head-coaching experience, having coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011 and the Falcons on an interim basis in 2020 (where he took over for Quinn ironically). He has also built his resume leading the Rams' defense over the past three years, even helping them win a Super Bowl LVI title.

Seattle's coaching search is far from over, but with this report, it seems like there's a pretty good idea of where the club will go.