Bold take: the Seahawks are reshaping their coaching staff around familiar faces, signaling a clear intent to lean on proven relationships and continuity. But the details behind that strategy are what make this move truly interesting.
Seattle is set to hire Zachary Orr as inside linebackers coach, multiple reporters confirm, reuniting Orr with Seattle’s recently departed head coach of defense, Mike Macdonald. Orr, 33, previously served as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator after two seasons coaching the Ravens’ inside linebackers — the position he played there from 2014 to 2016. His return to Seattle marks a full-circle moment following Macdonald’s 2024 ascent to the head coaching role in the Pacific Northwest.
Orr’s path has been eventful. After the Ravens dismissed coach John Harbaugh in January, he explored several defensive coordinator opportunities and was even in the mix for Las Vegas’s DC opening. Instead, he chose to team up with Macdonald again in Seattle. It remains to be seen how this hiring will affect Kirk Olivadotti, who has coached Seattle’s inside linebackers for the past two seasons; observers will be watching whether Olivadotti remains in his current role or steps into a different capacity.
In addition to Orr, another former Ravens assistant is set to join Macdonald’s staff: Daniel Stern, formerly the Ravens’ director of football strategy and assistant quarterbacks coach. Stern’s exact role with the Seahawks is not yet defined, but reports suggest possibilities such as pass-game strategist, underscoring Seattle’s broader effort to rebuild the coaching landscape around the Macdonald era.
On offense, Seattle is navigating a separate disruption: Klint Kubiak has departed to become the Raiders’ head coach. The Seahawks are weighing internal promotions for an offensive coordinator, with four in-house candidates reportedly in the mix: quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, run game specialist Justin Outten, tight ends coach Mack Brown, and passing game coordinator Jake Peetz. There were tensions of note as Seattle blocked Las Vegas’s attempt to interview Outten for the Raiders’ run game coordinator position, showing a keen interest in keeping key internal voices in-house.
Meanwhile, the Raiders had shown interest in Seattle’s wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson for their OC vacancy, a development that adds another layer to the ongoing coaching carousel across the league.
Controversy-ready prompt: does reuniting Orr with Macdonald signal a smarter, more cohesive defensive approach, or does it risk stagnation by overemphasizing prior chemistry over fresh perspectives? What are your thoughts on prioritizing internal promotions versus adding external voices in a franchise that’s still recalibrating after a recent Super Bowl run? Share your view in the comments.
