The Seattle Seahawks are likely still celebrating after hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy for the second time in franchise history. Notably, they're doing so with a second-year head coach who hasn't even turned 40 yet.
Mike Macdonald's rise to the top has been as fast as it's been notorious. He was with the Baltimore Ravens for a couple of seasons before taking the reins of a team of his own, joining the recent trend of young football masterminds.
However, things could've been entirely different for this organization. He wasn't at the top of the team's candidates list, and general manager John Schneider even had to turn to other teams to gather some intel on him.
The Seattle Seahawks asked around about Mike Macdonald
In a sitdown with the legendary Tony Dungy, the Seahawks' GM admitted that, since the team didn't get a chance to meet him early in the process, he turned to fellow executives for advice on Macdonald. Notably, they all agreed that he made a strong impression:
"He wasn't a part of our first wave of interviews, so we really had to rely on guys from other teams, (Atlanta Falcons CEO) Rich (McKay), (Carolina Panthers GM) Dan Morgan, (Tennessee Titans president of football operations) Chad Brinker, guys that had been interviewing him," Schneider admitted.
Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long before Schneider got where his colleagues were coming from. They hit it off right away, and it became crystal clear that, despite his youth and lack of experience, he was more than prepared for the challenge:
"They were right," Schneider continued. "He's a very clear, concise communicator. You can tell the intelligence. It was a two-hour conversation that felt like 20 minutes."
Fast forward to today, and Macdonald has already established himself as one of the best young head coaches in the game. He's won at least ten games in both seasons in charge of the team, and he has yet to lose his first playoff game.
On top of being an elite defensive play-caller and architect, he's also won over the locker room with his communication skills, no-bull approach, and confidence in his players. They will all run through a brick wall for their 38-year-old head coach.
The NFL is transitioning. Teams are trusting young coaches now more than ever, and it's all thanks to Sean McVay and his coaching tree. Ironically, he also paved the way for the guy who would end up beating him for another trip to the Super Bowl.