Mike Macdonald has landed on his new offensive coordinator. According to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times, the Seahawks are hiring Ryan Grubb as their new OC.
[RELATED: Seahawks To Hire Aden Durde As DC]
After spending the past two years as the offensive coordinator at Washington, Grubb recently accepted the same position on Alabama’s coaching staff. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Macdonald recently made a “major recruiting pull” to convince Grubb to join his staff in Seattle. Per Condotta, Grubb met with Macdonald and Seahawks general manager John Schneider last night to “iron out the details” of their agreement. The move is expected to be officially announced next week.
Sources told Condotta that Grubb was always atop the Seahawks’ list of OC candidates, even as the team eyed other options like Chip Kelly and Tanner Engstrand. While some pundits believed Grubb was the leader in the clubhouse, the coach seemed to double down on his recent job offer. Per Condotta, Grubb appeared at an Alabama booster event earlier this week and introduced himself as the school’s new offensive coordinator.
Instead, the 47-year-old will be sticking in the state of Washington. He was name the Huskies’ offensive coordinator/assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach in 2022, and he immediately helped turn around the school’s offense. The team finished the 2022 campaign first in the nation in passing yards per game, and he helped guide the offense to a second-place finish in total offense.
He also worked closely with quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who emerged as one of the top signal-callers in the nation. While Penix couldn’t crack the projected top-three QB draft grouping of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels, the prospect is still expected to hear his name called during one of the first two days of the draft.
While Grubb was recently credited with Washington’s passing offense, he also has extensive experience coaching the running game. During stops at Fresno State, Eastern Michigan, Sioux Falls, and South Dakota State, Grubb was tasked with coaching running backs and offensive linemen.
After Nick Saban retired, Alabama was quick to hire Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer. Washington opted not to promote Grubb to their open HC job, so the coordinator decided to follow his head coach to Alabama. Grubb is also expected to bring current Alabama offensive line coach (and former Washington OL coach) Scott Huff with him to the Seahawks, per ESPN’s Brady Henderson.
Macdonald has done quick work filling his staff, adding Aden Durde as defensive coordinator and Jay Harbaugh as special teams coordinator. Grubb will be replacing Shane Waldron, who took the Bears’ OC job after the Seahawks moved on from Pete Carroll.
If Grubb does indeed bring Huff along with him, and they can somehow add WR coach, Sheppard… Man, Macdonald will be putting together a staff with MASSIVE upside.
This whole run of events from the national championship onward will make a legendary 30 for 30 some day.
Sounds like Huff will join him. Not sure on others. DeBoer is off to a rough start in bama.
Agreed. Seems like Grubb was just as responsible (if not more) for UW success as Deboer was.
DeBoer is an idiot. He could’ve stayed at Washington, kept most of his coaches there, and created his own dynasty. Instead, it’s quite likely he’ll be at Alabama for two or three years before all the money guys down there give up on him and force him out
Its just like anything else. Something new with possible huge upside or something everyone knows that is boring and average. Love this Grubb pick up.