The Seattle Seahawks’ coaching tree may be starting to branch out in a big way, and the next name to watch is Jay Harbaugh.
Klint Kubiak already moved on after just one year in Seattle, landing the Las Vegas Raiders head coaching job after the Seahawks’ Super Bowl season. That kind of turnover usually means one thing: other teams are looking at what Seattle has built and trying to copy it.
Harbaugh, the Seahawks’ special teams coordinator, fits that profile. He’s not the flashiest name on the staff, but he’s the kind of coach teams can talk themselves into quickly, especially when the unit he runs keeps showing up in a major way.
Seattle’s third phase was a real weapon last season. Jason Myers and Michael Dickson did their part, but the coverage groups mattered just as much.
The Seahawks finished with the fourth-fewest yards allowed per kick return at 24.0. On punt returns, they gave up 15.5 yards a pop, but teams only got 19 chances to return punts against them, which was second-best in the league.
That tells the story of a group that was doing its job. Dickson was placing kicks well, and the coverage team was getting downfield fast enough to make returners think twice.
Harbaugh also brings something else that matters in these searches: name recognition backed by football bloodlines. His father, Jim, and his uncle, John, both have successful head coaching resumes in the league. John Harbaugh, who also worked as a special teams coordinator before taking over the Baltimore Ravens in 2008, won a Super Bowl and guided Baltimore to the playoffs 12 times in 18 years.
That kind of track record gets attention. Teams know the Harbaugh name, and they know the family has been around winning football for a long time.
If Seattle is back in the playoffs in 2026 and special teams is again a major reason why, Harbaugh could start showing up in head coaching conversations. And down the line, plenty of teams may end up chasing coaches from Mike Macdonald’s staff.
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