Seahawks assistant coach Justin Outten missed out on the team’s offensive coordinator job, but he will still get a promotion after his success in 2025.
Formerly Seattle’s run game specialist and assistant offensive line coach, Outten is set to become the team’s run game coordinator, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, a title bump that is likely to come with a pay raise. It seems to be well-deserved, as the Seahawks ranked third in rushing yards, second in rushing touchdowns, and first in yards per attempt last year, his first on the coaching staff.
Continued success at that level will likely make Outten an offensive coordinator candidate in future hiring cycles. His previous play-calling experience as the Broncos’ OC in 2022 went poorly, but Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson seemed to be more foundational problems with that team. Outten also has served under a number of notable head coaches, including Dan Quinn, Mike LaFleur, and Mike Vrabel, in addition to his current boss, Mike Macdonald. His strong coaching network may help him garner more interest for OC jobs and fill his staff if he lands one.
The Seahawks are also hiring Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock as their running backs coach, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Hammock will replace Kennedy Polamalu, who suddenly left the team before the playoffs. Outten, along with offensive assistant Michael Byrne, filled Polamalu’s role in the interim. Hammock will now take on the full-time gig after receiving interest from multiple NFL teams, and he will do so as the highest paid RBs coach in the league.
Hammock, 44, was a star running back at NIU before a medical condition forced him to retire after his senior year. He immediately went into coaching, starting as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin. He then served as the RBs coach at his alma mater and Minnesota before returning to Wisconsin in 2011. Hammock then got his first NFL job as the Ravens’ RBs coach, a position he held from 2013 until 2018, when a head coaching offer from NIU drew him back into the college ranks.
Though the Seahawks hope to keep Kenneth Walker, they are not expected to use the franchise tag on him. If he leaves Seattle this offseason Outten and Hammock would be tasked with getting Zach Charbonnet ready for a lead back role in 2026.