After a relatively quiet Black Monday – the day infamous for head coaches getting the axe – the NFL world was given quite the shocking bit of breaking news. After 14 successful seasons, the Seattle Seahawks are moving on from Pete Carroll as head coach. It is truly the end of an era.
Carroll will reportedly remain within the organization and move to a more prominent role in the front office as an advisor. He isn’t leaving Seattle, but his time as the head coach is apparently over.
As we in the Pacific Northwest deal with a swirl of emotions, trying to wrap our heads around what it means, one thought does rise above the rest: who is going to replace Carroll at the position? It is not something the 12th Man has had to think about for almost the better part of two decades.
Finding the right head coach is beyond crucial, as it could be the difference between reaching the next level or regressing into irrelevancy. With this in mind, here are the Top 5 options for the Seahawks to consider:
No. 1 - Dan Quinn, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator
This feels like the natural heir apparent to Carroll in Seattle. Quinn was the defensive coordinator for the Seahawks during their two Super Bowl years of 2013 and 2014, earning a ring in the process From there, he was the Atlanta Falcons head coach from 2015-2020 and accumulated a 46-44 record, including another trip to the Super Bowl.
According to Ian Rapoport, this seems to be one of the strong contenders.
#Cowboys DC Dan Quinn would quickly be considered a strong candidate to replace Pete Carroll, who now exits as HC.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2024
Quinn was a good head coach in Atlanta, but the tragic loss in Super Bowl LI doomed the organization, and things eventually petered out. Quinn’s worked wonders with the Dallas Cowboys as their defensive coordinator, and it’s always felt like he was waiting for the right opportunity to return to a head coaching position. Perhaps said opportunity is back in the Pacific Northwest.
No. 2 - Mike Vrabel, former Tennessee Titans head coach
If it weren’t for the Pete Carroll bombshell, this might have been the most head scratching coaching decision news of the year thus far. After six years in Music City, the Titans shockingly decided to move on from head coach Mike Vrabel. During his tenure with Tennessee, Vrabel accumulated a 56-48 record, earned Coach of the Year honors in 2021, went to an AFC Championship in 2019 and was the No. 1 seed in the 2021 playoffs.
The Titans let Vrabel go after a 7-10 record in 2022 and a 6-11 record in 2023, but in both years his teams were tough outs for opponents despite constant injuries – especially at the quarterback position. Vrabel won’t be unemployed for long.
No. 3 - Eric Bieniemy - Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
For years, folks around the league have wondered why longtime offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy had not received a head coach position up to this point. From 2018-2022, Bieniemy was the coordinator for Kansas City’s nuclear-powered offense and helped win two Super Bowls, including one last year.
This season, Bieniemy was the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders who finished the year 4-13, but hardly due to the efforts on his side of the ball. It seems like only a matter of time before he finally gets his shot at a top job.
No. 4 - Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
I think we can all agree the Seattle Seahawks’ offense was far too inconsistent given the incredible talent at their skill positions. For 18 weeks the Seahawks lacked a cohesive offensive identity and struggled to adapt past the opening script. A brilliant, fresh offensive mind with plenty of creativity should help fix these issues.
Enter: Ben Johnson, the man behind the Lions’ high-octane attack. Johnson has helped rehabilitate quarterback Jared Goff into one of the league’s better quarterbacks, and he matches perfectly with head coach Dan Campbell’s aggressive philosophy. I’m sure plenty of 12’s out there would love to see what Johnson could do with DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Tyler Lockett, and Kenneth Walker III.
No. 5 - Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines head coach
Don’t lie, this thought absolutely crossed your mind, if even for a fleeting moment. Yes, it would be odd to replace Pete Carroll with Pete Carroll’s former arch rival in college and the NFL. It will likely never happen, as Jim Harbaugh is sure to want total control of his new NFL team (should he decide to return).
But if we are talking about the best coaching candidates available, regardless of likelihood, then there is no one better than Jim Harbaugh. Everywhere he has gone he has won. San Diego, Stanford, the San Francisco 49ers, and now a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines.
Harbaugh’s teams run hot and he is able to squeeze every last bit of talent out of them. If the Seahawks wanted a creative option to challenge the likes of the Los Angeles Rams and especially the San Francisco 49ers… why not get their old coach to go against them?
