Ranking Seahawks Second Head Coach Interview Candidates - Locked On Podcast

From a known commodity in Dan Quinn to a first-time candidate such as Mike Kafka, the Seattle Seahawks have moved into the next stage finding Pete Carroll's successor.
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Taking the next step towards hiring Pete Carroll's successor on the sidelines, the Seattle Seahawks will begin round two of interviews with five candidates reportedly getting a second look.

Among those set to speak with general manager John Schneider and the rest of Seattle's brass a second time, four defensive coordinators have reportedly been scheduled for interviews, including Raiders coordinator Patrick Graham, Rams coordinator Raheem Morris, Cowboys coordinator Dan Quinn, and Panthers coordinator Ejiro Evero. The team also requested a second meeting with Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

Out of that group, only Quinn previously has coached in Seattle, working under Carroll in 2010 as well as 2013 and 2014. However, Morris coached on Quinn's staff in Atlanta from 2015 to 2020, including replacing him as an interim coach, before landing with the Rams and helping them win a Super Bowl as defensive coordinator.

Interestingly, three of the five coaching candidates have no prior head coaching experience at any level. Evero has been a coordinator in Denver and Carolina over the past two years, Graham has held that same job with three different teams, and Kafka previously was Kansas City's quarterbacks coach before going to New York to join Brian Daboll's staff two years ago.

Ranking Seahawks Head Coaching Candidates

Hosts Corbin Smith and Rob Rang revisit all five candidates set to interview with the Seahawks for a second time, dish out their rankings for the best potential fits to succeed Carroll, and discuss other candidates who could still be in the mix. They also tackle listener mailbag questions and hand out end of season awards on the defensive side of the football from MVP to most improved to breakout player.

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.