After firing head coach Kevin Stefanski earlier this week, the Cleveland Browns sought permission to interview Baltimore Ravens’ offensive coordinator Todd Monken for their head coaching job. Their second call was to the Seattle Seahawks to request an interview with defensive coordinator Aden Durde.
The announcement no doubt took many NFL fans by surprise. Unless you follow the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, or Seahawks, it’s likely that Durde is an unknown name.
Given the reputation of Seattle’s head man Mike Macdonald as a defensive genius, it’s possible that even Seahawks fans don’t know very much about their defensive coordinator. His name certainly isn’t in print as often as his counterpart on offense, Klint Kubiak.
Seahawks' Aden Durde’s improbable rise to the doorstep of an NFL head coaching job
But those in the know say that Durde is a very intriguing candidate for the top spot in any organization. His reputation as a valued team leader is stellar. He has served his coaching apprenticeship under Dan Quinn and Macdonald, two of the most respected defensive-minded head coaches in the league over the past decade.
As such, his time to run his own team may be coming sooner than expected.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported as much recently, "Don't sleep on defensive coordinator Aden Durde's candidacy. He's interviewing with the Browns, and there could be other teams that talk to him."
None of the current head coaching candidates has quite the resume of Aden Durde. The native of England played professional ball in Scotland and in Germany, along with some practice squad stints in the NFL. His first coaching gig was as defensive coordinator for the London Warriors in Britain’s BAFA league.
He came to the NFL in 2014 to serve as a coaching intern with Dallas, then joined Dan Quinn in Atlanta, when the former Seahawks DC took over as Falcons' head coach. Durde stayed with Quinn through his Falcons tenure and then went with him to the Cowboys as defensive line coach when Quinn was the defensive coordinator.
Quinn took the Cowboys’ secondary coach Joe Whitt, Jr., with him to Washington when he was hired as the Commanders’ head coach. Durde was offered the coordinator role by Macdonald when he left the Ravens for Seattle.
For the record, Joe Whitt was fired by the Commanders on the same day that Cleveland asked to interview Durde.
Seattle’s defense, which had fallen on some hard times in the latter years of Pete Carroll’s run, has been completely resurrected under Macdonald. They are now seen as one of the best defenses in the entire NFL. They do not have one dominant unit. They are solid at all three levels.
Macdonald is known to have one of the league’s most complicated systems, requiring high-level communication and discipline. As they have gotten better and better, it is obvious how well coached they have been under the leadership of Macdonald and Durde.
Durde now finds himself in a potentially problematic situation. He is a defensive coordinator who does not call the defensive plays. He is a defensive coordinator serving under an acknowledged defensive mastermind as head coach. It is easy for fans, as well as executives from other clubs, to overlook his contributions.
Former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy went through a similar situation when he served under head coach Andy Reid. Reid called the plays and got the credit for the Chiefs' high-powered offense. Bieniemy did get a few interviews, but never got a top spot.
He left Reid to coach under Ron Rivera in Washington, which theoretically was his chance to show he could handle calling plays on his own. It did not go well, but at least part of that can be attributed to the fact that he did not have a legitimate starting quarterback.
If Durde is being considered for a head coaching job, that lack of experience calling plays won’t matter. Most head coaches do not call plays, even if that is their background. They turn that job over to coordinators so that they can focus on the bigger picture. And Durde's reputation as a smart, inspiring leader is stellar. That is exactly what NFL owners want in a head coach.
DeMarcus Lawrence, the veteran who played for Durde in Dallas, essentially followed his coach to Seattle. Lawrence has said Durde’s presence was his main reason for signing with the Seahawks, and he has delivered an outstanding season.
Though we can never know exactly what part Durde has played in the evolution of the Seahawks’ defense, it is clear he has been a key component. Seattle has seen outstanding play from veterans like Lawrence and from rookies like Nick Emmanwori. Lesser-heralded players like Drake Thomas, Josh Jobe, and Ty Okada have flourished. And the unit has gotten better and better right before our eyes.
Surely the defensive coordinator has had something to do with that. And now, he just may get a chance to put his imprint on an entire franchise.
If Durde does indeed land a head coaching job this year, we will then begin speculating on who might replace him. But for now, let’s just enjoy the story he is writing for himself. It’s a story that has been overlooked by a lot of NFL followers for too long.