NFL coach Mike Macdonald only joined the Seattle Seahawks as their head coach in February 2024, but in two short years has already exceeded expectations, taking the team to the Super Bowl.
Mike's rise to the top of the NFL came after four years on the coaching staff for the University of Georgia, before he served on John Harbaugh's coaching staff with the Baltimore Ravens between 2014 and 2020. The following season, he joined Jim Harbaugh's staff at Michigan as the defensive coordinator (Jim is the younger brother of John), and then in 2022 returned to the Ravens for two seasons as their defensive coordinator, once again under John.
© Getty ImagesIn 2024 the Seahawks hired him as their head coach, making him the then-youngest NFL coach at 36. He signed a six-year contract, with reports alleging that his annual salary is north of $9 million; this also made him the highest-paid first-time coach ever.
"My understanding is this is the highest paid—I don’t know what the number is exactly—but he’ll be the highest paid first-time coach ever," NFL expert Mike Garofalo said. "He had two teams there—when you have two bidders, you can bid one against the other one. That’s the kind of stuff that can happen there. So Mike Macdonald got himself not only a long deal, but also a lucrative deal."
© Getty Images"What an honor," Mike said at the time of his hiring. "We are super excited to be here. Just getting to know [GM] John [Schneider] and the rest of the folks, the reputation of this place, what drew us here was the people.
"That’s why we’re here, to bring a championship back to Seattle and the 12s. We’re going to have a lot of fun, we’re going to work our tails off, and it’s going to be an incredible ride. We’re going to be here for a long time, and we’re going to win a lot of football games."
At the time, the contract made Mike the highest-paid first-time head coach in NFL history, although the 2025 season saw Ben Johnson negotiate a contract that saw him bring in a salary over $13 million. The average NFL salary for a head coach hovers around $7 million, although Andy Reid is one of the highest-paid coaches, with an annual salary reported to be $20million after 27 years.
© Getty ImagesThe Seahawks moved to hire Mike after he led the Ravens defensive squad to number one in points allowed, sacks and takeaways in 2023. Over his two seasons with the Ravens, ESPN ranked him first in their defensive efficiency metric.
Mike's inaugural season with the Seahakws saw the team celebrate with three straight victories for the first time since 2020, and they ended the season 10-7. It made Mike the first head coach in the franchise's history to reach 10 wins in his inaugural season.
© Getty ImagesThey missed the playoffs, but returned in 2025 hungrier than ever for the Super Bowl, with Sam Darnold as their quarterback – after a controversial three-year, $100.5 million contract – and the support of Jaxon Smith-Ngiba, Cooper Kupp, Kenneth Walker III, and Rashid Shadeed, who was traded to the team in November 2025.
The Seahawks finished the regular season at 14–3, setting a franchise record for wins in a season, and winning the NFC West and finishing as the number one seed in the NFC.
© Getty ImagesThe 2026 season for the Seahawks saw them ranked first in total yards allowed, scoring defence, and rush defence. The team defeated the 49ers in their first playoff game of 41–6.
They then beat the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship, and will now face the New England Patriots at the 2026 Super Bowl on February 8, 2026.
