Seahawks former offensive line coach Howard Mudd passes away

The Seahawks learned that former offensive line coach Howard Mudd passed away on Wednesday. He was a two-time coach with Seattle.

Howard Mudd, a long-time NFL coach and two-time coach with the Seahawks, died on Wednesday in a Seattle intensive care unit two weeks after being involved in a motorcycle accident. He was 78 years old.

Mudd coached the Seahawks offensive line twice, first from 1978 through 1982 under head coach Jack Patera and then again from 1993 through 1997 under coach Tom Flores. Seattle’s teams were not great during any of the seasons Mudd was a coach but this was not due to the offensive line being under-coached. More that there simply wasn’t enough talent on the Seahawks roster.

Overall, Mudd coached for 38 years in the NFL after being an All-Pro player. He was a member of the NFL’s All-1960s team as an offensive lineman as he made the Pro Bowl three times and was a two-time All-Pro. He played from 1964 until 1970 with the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears.

After retiring from playing, Mudd coached the offensive lines of several teams including the 49ers, Seahawks, San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Mudd spent 12 years with the Eagles, the longest of any team.

Mudd’s legacy

Mudd was the offensive line coach for the Colts when they won the Super Bowl in 2006. During one six-year stretch with the Colts, Mudd’s line gave up the fewest sacks in NFL history for a 192-game stretch. Former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning called Mudd the best offensive line coach in NFL history.

Mudd retired from coaching in 2012 but returned for a short time in 2019 with the Colts. His family put out a statement that stated in lieu of flowers, anyone wanted to give a gift in Mudd’s honor can do so by donating to the Indianapolis Great Pyrenees Rescue.