Being an NFL head coach isn’t just a job-it’s a lifestyle, and one that rarely comes with an off switch. For Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, that reality became crystal clear in a recent interview that’s been making the rounds online.
When asked about how he balances the demands of game week with time at home, Macdonald offered a candid glimpse into the grind. Thursdays, he said, are especially tough.
“I try to get home pretty quick to be with [my son] maybe a half-hour, an hour before he goes to bed,” Macdonald told KING-TV in Seattle. “Then I got a set up at my house where I can go and work on the game plan.”
That brief window of family time-just 30 to 60 minutes-might sound jarring to some, and it didn’t take long for social media to weigh in. Some fans saw shades of the hyper-focused mentality that defined legends like Tom Brady and Michael Jordan.
The takeaway? This is a coach who’s fully locked in.
But Macdonald wasn’t trying to win sympathy points or stir controversy-he was simply being real. And while the hours are long, he made it clear that even those short moments at home matter more than people might think. “I’m able to spend some more time at home and be with Jack, and it kind of lets you get away from everything and see things from a different perspective,” he said.
That perspective has likely taken on a whole new meaning since the birth of his son, Jack David, on December 3, 2024. Macdonald briefly stepped away from the team at that time, handing the reins to his assistants-a rare move in the middle of an NFL season, and a testament to how seriously he takes both roles: coach and dad.
Now, as Macdonald prepares for the biggest game of his coaching career, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The Seahawks are set to host the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, with a Super Bowl berth on the line. It’s a clash of titans: the league’s top-ranked offense squaring off against the league’s top-ranked defense.
For Macdonald, it’s the culmination of months of preparation, sacrifice, and yes-plenty of late nights at the whiteboard after bedtime stories. Whether or not the Seahawks punch their ticket to the Super Bowl, one thing’s already clear: their head coach is all in, both on the field and at home.