Sources: Mike Macdonald Favored as Seahawks Hire; Beat Out Dan Quinn as New Coach?

Closing in on the end of their lengthy coaching search, the Seattle Seahawks have zeroed in on Mike Macdonald as the top candidate to replace Pete Carroll. Will the two sides get a deal done?

Entering week three of their coaching search, the Seattle Seahawks flew in Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald for a second interview in as many days.

With the rising young coaching phenom currently at the VMAC, will he become the Seahawks next coach? Based on recent developments, while a hiring may not be imminent, the table has been set for the two sides to strike a deal with the candidate who sources have indicated has been the favorite to replace Pete Carroll throughout the process.

Ever since making the difficult decision to slide Carroll into an advisory role, Macdonald has been a prioritized target for team chair Jody Allen and general manager John Schneider. However, due to the timing of the coaching change and revised NFL interview rules, they weren't able to schedule an initial interview with him before the January 12 deadline, forcing them to wait until the Ravens were done playing before having a chance to meet with him.

Choosing to wait the process out rather than rush to hire a candidate, Seattle's patience paid off when Baltimore lost to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, finally making Macdonald available to speak with. Schneider quickly booked an interview on Tuesday in Baltimore and wasted little time initiating the next step of the process with the coveted coordinator flying to the Pacific Northwest for a second visit at the VMAC in Renton.

Mike Macdonald will be at the VMAC on Wednesday for a second interview and signing the dotted line could be part of the process with the Seattle Seahawks coveting him as a head coaching candidate

The Seahawks interest in Macdonald shouldn't come as a surprise, as the 36-year old has been the architect behind one of the NFL's best defenses over the past two seasons. Following a one-year stint at Michigan, he took over for long-time coordinator Wink Martindale and the Ravens immediately jumped to third in scoring defense and ninth in turnovers.

Continuing to masterfully coach up his unit, Baltimore took another step forward under Macdonald's watch in 2022, ranking first in scoring defense allowing just 16.5 points per game. Dominant at all three levels, they also finished first in turnovers created and sacks, wreaking havoc against opponents every week.

Seahawks Free to Interview Mike Macdonald After Ravens Lose AFC Championship

Reflecting on Seattle's coaching search as a whole, Macdonald's second interview may not guarantee an immediate job offer, as the team already has conducted second interviews with four other candidates, including Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. And of course Dan Quinn of the Dallas Cowboys is a popular name. However, with the process expedited to get the perceived front-runner to the Emerald City after his first interview, there appears to be mutual interest in hashing out a deal in quick order.