Seahawks: Ranking the five best defensive coordinators in team history

Number 4: Kris Richard, Seahawks DC from 2015 through 2017

Kris Richard was mistreated by the Seahawks. He should never have been fired after the 2017 season and the team suffered by letting Richard go and hiring Ken Norton, Jr. to replace him. Norton was a terrible NFL defensive coordinator. Norton was fired this offseason – four seasons too late! – and is now the linebackers coach at UCLA. That’s a pretty far fall.

But this is about Richard. His players loved him and wanted to play hard for him. Yes, Richard did inherit very good players in 2015 when he became the DC in Seattle. But he also got the most out of the players he had and this is the best thing one can say about any coach.

In 2015, the Seahawks ranked first in points allowed and yards allowed in the NFL. In 2016, this fell a bit only to third in points allowed and fifth in yards allowed. 2017 was Richard’s final season in Seattle and the team was 13th in yards and points allowed. Most of this had nothing to do with coaching, however, and was due to season-ending injuries to Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. Plus, Earl Thomas missed two games.

Richard should have been retained and kept as DC in 2018. He has proven as an assistant coach since he left the Seahawks (he has coached with the Cowboys and the Saints) that he is very good at his job. Now he is the co-defensive coordinator for the Saints and Seattle is starting over at DC.