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Seattle Seahawks

Analysis: Ranking the Seahawks’ 9 reported head coach candidates

Mike Vrabel watches while coaching the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 25, 2022, at Nissan Stadium, in Nashville.  (Tribune News Service)
By Bob Condotta Seattle Times

SEATTLE – Maybe it makes sense that as the weekend began, the battle to become the ninth coach in Seahawks history had nine known candidates.

There might be more, of course, as the Seahawks could be doing some investigatory work behind the scenes on coaches whose names have yet to surface in the search to find a replacement for Pete Carroll.

There are nine candidates who one or more outlets have reported that the Seahawks have scheduled to interview.

A few have interviewed virtually but none in person as of Friday afternoon, with the Seahawks beginning the interview process Wednesday.

Who are the favorites? Who are the long shots?

Only Seahawks general manager John Schneider knows for sure. But here’s one guess on how the candidates could be ranked.

Mike Vrabel

Current job: Unemployed after being fired as coach of Tennessee Titans last week.

Age: 48.

The case for: Of the coaches on this list, Vrabel has the most distinguished head-coaching career, going 54-45 in six years with the Titans, with four consecutive winning seasons, three playoff berths and a march to the AFC title game in 2019 – not to mention his 14-year playing career and three Super Bowl rings with the Patriots. And he’s said to have a good relationship with Schneider, which would probably ease any concerns of battles over personnel and coaching staff – both in Schneider’s control as Carroll had final say.

A reason for concern: Vrabel mostly gets a pass for the way things ended in Tennessee – 7-10 and 6-11 records the past two seasons, including 6-18 in his last 24 games – because of injury and quarterback issues. Proof he still had a hold on the team came the final game this season, a victory that knocked Jacksonville out of the playoffs (not to mention almost doing the same to the Seahawks two weeks earlier). But as a coach with a defensive background he’d need a strong offensive coordinator. It was reported by ESPN on Thursday that the Seahawks want to talk with Vrabel, but as of Friday afternoon no date had been set. It was reported that he met with the Chargers on Thursday (since he is not employed he can meet in person this week), and ESPN reported Friday he will meet with the Falcons on Wednesday.

Dan Quinn

Current job: Defensive coordinator, Dallas Cowboys.

Age: 53.

The case for: Quinn’s resume isn’t far off Vrabel’s – 43-42 as head man in Atlanta from 2015-20 and a Super Bowl appearance. His four years as a Seahawks assistant – including the 2013-14 seasons as defensive coordinator – means he could hit the ground running maybe easier than anyone on the list. He also has a strong relationship with Schneider. Though Quinn, who reportedly interviewed virtually Thursday, has a defensive background, the Falcons had the NFL’s best offense when he had a good offensive coordinator in Kyle Shanahan.

A reason for concern: Quinn’s Atlanta tenure took a turn once Shanahan left to coach the 49ers and some of the stars on the 2016 Super Bowl team began to age. Though he has coordinated strong Dallas defenses the past three years – all top seven or better in points allowed – the failure against Green Bay in last week’s 48-32 playoff loss is perplexing. The view here is it’s unlikely one game is going to change people’s perception of Quinn much. It’s worth wondering if it makes more sense to get someone to take everything in a completely different direction from Carroll than Quinn might.

Ben Johnson

Current job: Offensive coordinator, Detroit Lions.

Age: 37.

The case for: Some regard Johnson, who reportedly interviewed virtually Saturday, as among the NFL’s top two or three play-callers, coordinating a Detroit offense that has ranked in the top five in points and yards the past two seasons. He’s also coached receivers, tight ends and quarterbacks in other assistant roles, given credit for his work with the likes of Ryan Tannehill and Jarvis Landry in Miami.

A reason for concern: The same as there is for every coach on this list who has only been an assistant – how would Johnson handle running the whole show? He also has worked at only three spots – Boston College, the Miami Dolphins and the Lions – in a career that began in 2009. But then, Sean McVay was just 31 and had been a coordinator for just three years and spent six of the eight years of his career with one team before being hired by the Rams in 2017.

Raheem Morris

Current job: Defensive coordinator, Los Angeles Rams.

Age: 47.

The case for: Along with Quinn, Morris has maybe the most varied resume of this group. He was a head coach with the Buccaneers from 2009-11, a defensive coordinator for two NFL teams (Falcons, Rams) and has experience working with McVay and Shanahan – the two coaches the Seahawks must figure out how to beat. Morris helped revive the Rams’ young defense this season and draws almost universal praise from players. He also has the endorsement of Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, whom he coached in 2022 with the Rams. Wagner recently replied “add me too” to a post on X stating which coaches/players had gone on record saying Morris would be a “terrific head coach.”

A reason for concern: The obvious is the 17-31 record in Tampa Bay that included records of 3-13, 10-6 and 4-12 and a defense that allowed more points than any other team in the NFL in his final season in 2011, which ended with a 10-game losing streak. But the Bucs’ personnel was a mess then – his primary QB was Josh Freeman. Morris, who reportedly interviewed virtually Friday, went 4-7 as the interim coach with the Falcons in 2020 after Quinn was fired.

Bobby Slowik

Current job: Offensive coordinator, Houston Texans.

Age: 36.

The case for: You want different, you’d get it with Slowik, who besides being young worked from 2014-16 as an analyst for Pro Football Focus. He was cited for having done significant work in refining the site’s often controversial player grading system. He returned to coaching, spending the next six years in varying roles with the 49ers before following DeMeco Ryans to Houston and serving this year as the offensive coordinator. He has received kudos for his work with the 49ers’ Brock Purdy in 2022 and Texans rookie C.J. Stroud this season. Slowik, who reports on Saturday stated will interview Sunday, also has five years as a defensive assistant with Washington and San Francisco.

A reason for concern: Almost all his significant coaching experience is in the Shanahan family system. And there’s the leap of faith the Seahawks would have to make regarding Slowik’s ability to lead an entire team and coaching staff. But it’s worth noting that every head coach was once a highly regarded assistant.

Patrick Graham

Current job: Defensive coordinator, Raiders.

Age: 44.

The case for: Graham earned plaudits for turning the 2020 Giants and this season’s Raiders into top-10 defenses despite unfavorable circumstances (the Raiders’ midseason firing of coach Josh McDaniels, for instance). Graham’s seven years as a defensive assistant with the Patriots from 2009-15 means he learned from one of the best to ever do it in Bill Belichick. He has an intriguing background that includes a degree from Yale in sociology. He pursued an MBA at Wagner before getting into coaching full-time.

A reason for concern: Graham, who reportedly had a virtual interview Wednesday, has had some tough gigs, spending the past four years as the defensive coordinator for the Giants (2020-21) and Raiders (2022-23), as well as Miami in 2019. The reality is three of the five defenses he’s coordinated in that time were 21st or worse in yards allowed and 23rd or worse in points allowed. Though Graham hasn’t worked for Belichick since 2015, he spent seven years there, and coaches off the Belichick tree haven’t had a lot of head-coaching success.

Frank Smith

Current job: Offensive coordinator, Miami Dolphins.

Age: 42.

The case for: If you think the offensive line has been the Seahawks’ problem all these years, then Smith is your man. He played offensive line at Miami (Ohio) and has coached offensive line for 10 years in college and the NFL. Working alongside Mike McDaniel, he’s coordinated a top-five offense the past two years. He also spent five years as an assistant offensive line coach for Sean Payton, so he knows that system, too.

A reason for concern: Smith, who reportedly interviewed virtually Thursday, has just two years of coordinating an entire side of the ball in the NFL – and both under McDaniel, who has heavy say on what the Dolphins do on offense – and no head-coaching experience at any level. Separating how much credit a coordinator should get instead of the coach is always tricky.

Ejiro Evero

Current job: Defensive coordinator, Carolina Panthers.

Age: 43.

The case for: Here is how The Washington Post described Evero two years ago before the Super Bowl when he was the defensive passing-game coordinator for the Rams: “Good luck finding another coach who at 41 has been part of three conference championships, served as an assistant in all three phases (offense, defense and special teams), gone to the playoffs in nine of his 14 NFL seasons and trained under coaches such as Vic Fangio, Dom Capers, Wade Phillips and Sean McVay, not to mention (Monte) Kiffin.” Kiffin was also a mentor for Carroll way back when.

A reason for concern: Since leaving the Rams, Evero, who reportedly interviewed virtually Wednesday, has been the defensive coordinator in 2022 for Denver and 2023 in Carolina – teams that fired their coaches during the season. And fair or not, a coordinator off a team that just went 2-15 might seem like a hard sell.

Mike Kafka

Current job: Offensive coordinator, New York Giants.

Age: 36.

The case for: Kafka, a former Northwestern quarterback who spent time on the rosters of seven NFL teams from 2010-15, is just eight years removed from playing, so you’d assume he’d know how to relate to the locker room. And he worked five years as an offensive assistant with Andy Reid and the Chiefs – two years as passing-game coordinator, earning plaudits for his work with Patrick Mahomes – and was said to have impressed in head-coach interviews with the Cardinals last year.

A reason for concern: Kafka, who reportedly interviewed virtually Friday, has been a full-time coach at any level for just seven years and a coordinator for just the past two with the Giants. This season with the Giants was a disaster for everyone involved – reports indicate that coach Brian Daboll several times took over play-calling duties.