Seahawks sign DC Ravens Mike McDonald will be the next head coach.

Next season, Mike McDonald, who led the Ravens’ defense to a historic victory in 2023, will get the opportunity to manage his own club.

The Seattle Seahawks announced on Wednesday night that they had selected the defensive coordinator from Baltimore to be their next head coach. He is going to be the youngest head coach in the NFL at age 36. In addition to ESPN, the NFL Network broke the story first, stating that McDonald had inked a six-year contract.

Pete Carroll, 72, who guided the Seahawks to their lone Super Bowl championship in 2013 during his 14 seasons in Seattle, announced his resignation earlier this month. He is replaced by him. Seattle went 9-8 this season and missed the playoffs.

Macdonald joins Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan, Rex Ryan, and Chuck Pagano among the five former Ravens defensive coordinators to take on head coaching roles elsewhere.

The Ravens will now have to search for a new defensive coordinator for the second time in three years as a result of his departure. After parting ways with Don “Wink” Martindale after the 2021 season, the team hired Macdonald. They have several possible candidates right there in their building.

Anthony Weaver, the associate head coach and defensive line coach, may be next in line if they decide to remain at home.

The Ravens selected 43-year-old former defensive end Weaver in the second round of the 2002 draft. He went back to where his career started in 2020, joining the Ravens as defensive line coach and coordinator of the run game under head coach John Harbaugh after moving up to defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans. The organization fired Martindale the following season and replaced him with Macdonald, who had coached the linebackers from 2018 to 2020 before moving to Michigan to work as the defensive coordinator for the Wolverines under Jim Harbaugh, the younger brother of head coach Mike Harbaugh. Weaver was elevated to associate head coach by the Ravens as well.

During training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center, youngster Kaieem Caesar and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver of the Ravens converse. (Personnel, Kevin Richardson)

Since then, Weaver has developed into a contender for head coach. This season, he has conducted interviews with many teams, including the Washington Commanders, who invited him in for a second interview for their head coaching position earlier this week. The Miami Dolphins are allegedly interviewing him for the position of defensive coordinator.

Inside linebackers coach Zach Orr, passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt, and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson—who joined the Ravens this season after leaving the Philadelphia Eagles—are among the other possible contenders in the organization.

But things may become complicated if other teams show interest in any of those coaches. Wilson is being considered for many defensive coordinator positions, including those with the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants, in addition to Weaver interviewing elsewhere.

That Macdonald was selected by Seattle, though, is not shocking.

Having finished 24th in the NFL in terms of points allowed, 30th in terms of total yards allowed, 27th in terms of yards allowed per carry, 31st in terms of rushing yards allowed per game, and 22nd in terms of throwing yards allowed per game in 2023, the Seahawks require defensive facelifts.

The Seahawks were destroyed 37-3 by Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 9, giving them another opportunity to witness the defensive magician in action. QB Geno Smith was sacked four times during that game, and the Seahawks managed only 151 yards of offense with two fumbles and a 1-for-13 third-down performance.

Having led a Baltimore defense that finished in the top five in scoring, total yards, rushing yards, red-zone touchdown rate, and third-down conversion rate over the previous two seasons, Macdonald had also emerged as one of the league’s most sought-after prospects. This year, he held interviews with at least six teams. Along the way, he received a lot of recognition for his brilliance, his skill at developing connections with players, and his elite defensive tactics that caused havoc for rival attacks.

Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy of the Ravens predicted on Monday that Mike would do admirably. “He will be extremely talented if given the opportunity to lead a team. In addition to being a very competent coach who excels in Xs and Os, communication, and rallying the squad toward the main objective, he also has a strong passion for football. I have high expectations for him.

The Ravens, who fielded a defense that came into the season with questions about its secondary and defensive front and lacked a legitimate pass rusher, became the first team in NFL history to lead the league in sacks (60), takeaways (31), and points allowed per game (16.1).

Along with having many players that excelled in his scheme, they also led the league in throwing yards allowed per play, first in rushing touchdowns allowed per game, and second in overall yards allowed per play. During the regular season, Van Noy recorded a career-best nine sacks, while teammate outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney also had a breakthrough performance, tying his career high with nine and a half sacks. Inside linebacker Patrick Queen eclipsed his previous career high from a season earlier with 133 tackles, while defensive lineman Justin Madbuike topped all interior linemen with 13 sacks. Inside linebacker Roquan Smith led the team with 158 tackles.

Ten-year NFL veteran Clowney referred to Macdonald as the sharpest defensive coordinator he had ever encountered, while Smith labeled him a “mad scientist.”

In the league, he’s also been compared to defensive-minded Sean McVay. The Los Angeles Rams hired McVay in 2017, when he was thirty years old and the youngest NFL coach in history. When the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2021, McVay was voted NFL Coach of the Year and became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl.