SEATTLE — New Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald will be calling his defense in Seattle, but who will now oversee the team's offense with Shane Waldron and Pete Carroll no longer in the building?
Unlike some other teams around the league, the Seahawks have not rushed into filling out Macdonald's staff for 2024 since he was officially announced as the head coach on Feb. 1.
Here are some of the names that have been linked to the offensive coordinator vacancy, and what fans should know about the candidates.
Ryan Grubb, Alabama offensive coordinator
Many Seahawks fans likely are familiar with Grubb, as he was in the same role at the University of Washington under Kalen DeBoer for the last two seasons before following the head coach to Alabama.
Grubb has developed a strong reputation after leading one of college football's best offenses with the Huskies. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. twice finished in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting and UW is expecting to have a haul of players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, many of them from the offensive side of the ball.
Multiple outlets have reported Grubb and the Seahawks have mutual interest, but there have been no updates as of yet on the status of Grubb's candidacy.
Grubb has no NFL experience on his resume, with recent Division I stops in college football at Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, Washington and currently Alabama.
Tanner Engstrand, Detroit Lions offensive assistant
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer reported last week that the Seahawks had requested an interview with Engstrand from the Lions, but no further reports have surfaced about his chances at the job. He also drew interest from two other NFL teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots, for similar openings.
Engstrand grew up on the West Coast and spent much of his early life in San Diego, first playing football at San Diego State and then coaching at the University of San Diego (USD). Part of his time with the Toereros at USD was coaching under Jim Harbaugh, who of course also had Macdonald on his staff at Michigan in 2021.
Like Macdonald, Engstrand also has a year on Michigan's coaching staff with Harbaugh under his belt. Engstrand was an offensive analyst during the 2018 season.
Engstrand's first chance in professional football actually came with the XFL's DC Defenders, where he was named the team's inaugural offensive coordinator. However, Engstrand eventually was hired by the Lions in 2020 after the league ceased operations.
The Seahawks likely heard about Engstrand's impact on the Lions while the organization was interviewing Ben Johnson for the head coaching position prior to hiring Macdonald. Johnson was a top candidate for several open head coach roles, but chose to return to Detroit for another season.
Chip Kelly, UCLA head coach
In a twist on Tuesday night, Kelly's name was credibly linked to the Seahawks. The Ringer's Benjamin Solak reported that Seattle met with Kelly on Tuesday to interview him for the offensive coordinator opening.
Kelly has an extensive background as a head coach, having led the University of Oregon to many successful seasons before stints at the helm with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
UCLA hired Kelly in 2018, and the team has gone 35-34 in six seasons as the Bruins' head coach. With a move to the Big Ten ramping up the on-field competition significantly for UCLA, Kelly might be interested in pursuing a chance to return to the NFL.
The Seahawks likely would be changing up some personnel if Kelly was the pick, as his offenses typically feature a mobile quarterback and speed at just about every position on the field.
Mike Kafka, New York Giants offensive coordinator
It should be noted that the Seahawks attempted to interview Kafka for the team's offensive coordinator role, but the Giants blocked the move. NFL teams can block their assistant coaches from interviewing with teams unless the role they are interviewing for would be a promotion.
Kakfa interviewed for the head coach opening as well before Macdonald was hired, but it appears he will return to the Giants' staff in 2024.
