Examining 9 Candidates For Seahawks Offensive Coordinator Vacancy

Seeking a new play caller for the second straight offseason, who fits Mike Macdonald's vision as the Seahawks begin the interview process?

Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich is shown during organized team activities Wednesday, May 29, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Wasting little time making a major change after the Seattle Seahawks narrowly missed out on the playoffs, Mike Macdonald fired offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb on Monday, creating a major opening on his staff heading into the offseason.

While Macdonald didn't offer many specifics on what he and general manager John Schneider will be looking for as they begin pursuing a replacement for Grubb on his weekly Monday radio show on Seattle Sports 710, he indicated the Seahawks would "open it up" seeking the best candidate who aligns with his vision for the offense.

"We're going to do our research and be thorough with it," Macdonald said. "We want to be efficient, we want to move quickly, but we want to be smart as well. We're just looking for the right fit on the type of person that's going to come in and lead our offense. Not that we weren't aligned with Ryan, but definitely looking for alignment and shared vision about how we want to operate."

Which candidates stand out as the best options to replace Grubb on Macdonald's staff? Here are nine coaches who would make the most sense based on prior experience, coaching background, and overall fit:

Adam Stenavich

Previously starring at Michigan and spending a brief time in the NFL, Stenavich has ascended up the ranks on coach Matt LaFleur's staff since joining the Packers in 2019. He began his tenure in Green Bay as the offensive line coach, eventually earning the run game coordinator tag two seasons later. In 2022, following Nathaniel Hackett's departure to become the Broncos head coach, he once again received a promotion and took over as the new offensive coordinator three seasons ago.

If there's a downside to Stenavich, he has not called plays for the Packers, as LaFleur has maintained that responsibility, and that lack of experience may be a non-starter for some teams. However, he has been involved in the process, and given the Seahawks' chronic issues with offensive line play, his track record could be incredibly appealing as a replacement option for Grubb. Under his direction, Green Bay has consistently had one of the NFL's best offensive lines, which finished second in average True Pass Set win rate according to Pro Football Focus (69 percent).

Add in that Stenavich has thrived in Green Bay and both played and coached for Michigan, and that could be the cherry on top to sweeten the deal as a prime candidate for Schneider and Macdonald.

Brian Schottenheimer

A familiar face for Seahawk fans, Seattle finished in the top 10 in scoring in all three seasons Schottenheimer served on Pete Carroll's staff from 2018 to 2020, orchestrating one of the NFL's most explosive passing attacks as the team advanced to the postseason each season. Russell Wilson played the best football of his career, including throwing a career-high 40 touchdown passes in 2020, and interestingly, Geno Smith was the backup quarterback for two of those seasons, so there wouldn't be a major transition jumping back into Schottenheimer's system.

Even before his first stint in Seattle, Schottenheimer earned a reputation for building quality rushing attacks with far inferior quarterback play at his disposal, which helped lead the New York Jets to consecutive AFC Championship games. Once he arrived in the Pacific Northwest, he transformed a 23rd ranked Seahawks run game from the season prior into the top rushing offense overnight with Chris Carson eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards twice. The team never finished worse than 12th in rushing in his three years as play caller.

Currently under contract with the Cowboys, Schottenheimer may not be keen on coming back to Seattle given how his exit transpired in 2021. But his ideology likely would mesh far better with Macdonald and his track record building quality run games speaks for itself, making a second chance worth consideration.

Frank Smith

A candidate for Seattle's head coaching job last winter, Smith has already been on Schneider's radar in the past, and his strengths could once again make him a person of interest searching for a new offensive coordinator. He has successfully worn a number of hats in the NFL, including helping the Saints finish with the third-fewest sacks allowed from 2010 to 2014 as an assistant line coach and enjoying similar success as an offensive line coach with the Chargers.

Most recently, Smith has been the offensive coordinator for the Dolphins, and while this past season didn't go near as well due to injuries, his influence has left a major imprint on Mike McDaniels' offense. In 2023, Miami finished second in passing yards and sixth in rushing yards while also finishing in the top 10 in red zone efficiency and third down conversion rate, checking off a number of boxes where Seattle struggled mightily this past season.

Like Stenavich, Smith has never been a play caller in the NFL, so hiring him would carry risk on that front. But working with McDaniel and having an offensive line background should thrust him back into the conversation as an option to succeed Grubb.

Klint Kubiak

Offering a variety of experiences on his resume despite being only 37 years old, Kubiak has been a quarterback coach, pass game coordinator, and offensive coordinator in 11 seasons in the NFL, including working in conjunction with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan as a pass game coordinator in 2023. He has bounced around and his previous stints as an offensive coordinator were one-and-done situations, including a strong likelihood the Saints won't bring him back in 2024.

But looking deeper into Kubiak's two seasons as a play caller, the Vikings did have the 14th-ranked scoring offense in 2021, finishing ninth in passing touchdowns that year. The Saints started off hot this season before injuries struck, including quarterback Derek Carr going down twice and running back Alvin Kamara missing significant time, which contributed greatly to their 24th ranked scoring offense with a short-handed cast of characters.

With a versatile coaching background and previous stints working for his father Clint Kubiak and Shanahan, Kubiak will be sought after in the latest coaching carousel and it wouldn't be a surprise if the Seahawks entered that mix for his services.

Josh McCown

Since Grubb didn't pan out with zero experience as an NFL offensive coordinator, the Seahawks may not explore candidates such as McCown with similar resumes this time around. But not at least taking a look at the long-time NFL quarterback would seem to be a poor decision with his potential upside.

Following an 18-year playing career, McCown's first coaching stint as a quarterback coach working with then-rookie Bryce Young in Carolina didn't go well, as the team relieved him of his duties after firing head coach Frank Reich following a 1-10 start. But he landed on his feet quickly, joining Kevin O'Connell's staff in Minnesota as the new quarterback coach, where he has played an integral role in the career resurgence of Sam Darnold, who led the team to 13 wins and made the Pro Bowl with a personal-best 35 touchdown passes this season.

Widely respected around the league for his football acumen and leadership skills, McCown has already had multiple head coaching interviews and it seems inevitable his first chance to take over as a play caller will be coming in the near future. If the Seahawks want a quarterback-centric coordinator with a high ceiling to pair with Geno Smith and/or an incoming draft pick, taking a big swing on him could be a shrewd decision.

Frank Reich

Speaking of Reich, the former Colts and Panthers head coach sat out this year after being fired in the middle of the 2023 season, but he will be looking to get back into the mix during this upcoming coaching cycle and warrants a look by teams such as the Seahawks.

Previously playing 14 seasons in the NFL, Reich's experience as a quarterback can be seen in his previous seasons as an offensive coordinator for the Chargers and Eagles, as his teams finished in the top 10 in passing yards and passing touchdowns twice in four seasons. Interestingly, he also has engineered quality run games in the past, including Philadelphia ranking third in rushing yards in 2017, when they eventually won the Super Bowl.

As a head coach, Reich had top-10 scoring offenses twice in four seasons in Indianapolis, finishing in the top six in passing touchdowns in both of those campaigns even after the retirement of Andrew Luck. While he only led his teams to the playoffs once as a head coach, pairing him with a seasoned quarterback in Smith and a talented array of skill players as a coordinator would have the potential to be a home run for Seattle.

Other Potential Options

Pivotal in the development of Lamar Jackson, Ravens quarterback coach Tee Martin already has a built in relationship with Macdonald from their time together in Baltimore and he's an ascending coordinator candidate worth interview consideration... Next in line from the Shanahan coaching tree, 49ers tight end coach Brian Fleury hasn't been a coordinator in the NFL, but he has prior experience coaching on offense and defense in the league, making him a fascinating candidate... Recently fired by Jacksonville, Doug Pederson hasn't been a coordinator since 2015 in Kansas City, but he has Pacific Northwest ties and a long history of coordinating quality all-around offenses.

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