JUST IN: The NFL’s youngest head coach Has Agreed On Siging The Great And Experience Young Coach In…………

The youngest head coach in the NFL is about to add even younger players to the Seahawks roster.

Jay Harbaugh, who worked as his father Jim’s special teams coordinator at Michigan, is close to signing a contract to take over as the Seahawks’ new special teams coach. The first person to disclose that on Monday was Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.

In 2021, Harbaugh, 34, and Macdonald, 36, worked as assistant coaches on Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan staff. Before returning to the Baltimore Ravens to serve as their defensive coordinator for the final two NFL seasons, Macdonald had just one season as their collegiate defensive coordinator.

It was Jay Harbaugh’s third season as Michigan’s special teams coordinator during the 2021 collegiate year with Macdonald. In addition to working together on John Harbaugh’s 2014 Baltimore Ravens staff, Macdonald and Harbaugh’s Wolverines defeated Washington in the national title game last month. When Macdonald joined the Ravens as a 27-year-old intern in 2014, Jay Harbaugh was the team’s offensive quality control coach. Having worked for his father for nine years, Jay Harbaugh was the Michigan assistant coach with the longest tenure during the previous collegiate season.

Harbaugh has experience coaching a variety of positions. Over the past ten years, he has taught running backs, tight ends, and safeties in addition to special teams.

There were several within the Michigan program who thought Jay Harbaugh would join his father as a coach with the Los Angeles Chargers. Jim Harbaugh was named the Chargers’ next head coach on January 24.

Rather, since the Seahawks announced Jay Harbaugh as their ninth head coach on Thursday, he becomes the second known member of Macdonald’s staff. Pete Carroll was replaced by Harbaugh. Leslie Frazier, 64, a head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and former defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, was hired by Macdonald on Friday to serve as the Seahawks’ associate head coach.

Macdonald and Frazier collaborated while working for the Ravens under John Harbaugh. After 14 years in command of the team, Carroll, who was 72 years old this past season and the oldest coach in the league, was sacked by Seattle team chair Jody Allen on January 10.

Macdonald had another possible option become available on Monday while he decides who to appoint as the next offensive coordinator and play caller for Seattle.

In 2024, Eric Bieniemy won’t be joining the Washington Commanders’ staff again. In his news conference upon taking the Washington bench, Dan Quinn, the new Commanders coach, stated as much.

Bieniemy, 54, was the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl offensive coordinator under Patrick Mahomes. Prior to joining the Commanders in 2023, he departed Andy Reid’s staff.

After Ron Rivera was sacked by Washington last month, Bieniemy had an interview with the Commanders to become their next head coach. Quinn, the former defensive coordinator for the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, was hired by the Commanders last week. Since then, Quinn has appointed Kliff Kingsbury, a former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, as Washington’s new offensive coordinator.

Bieniemy may now speak with Seattle or any other team if Macdonald want to have an NFL-experienced senior coordinator call the offensive plays for the Seahawks in 2024.

Ryan Grubb, 47, a former play caller and offensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies, is a contender for the same position with the Seahawks, a league source informed The News Tribune last week.

Mike Kafka, 36, the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants, piqued Macdonald’s interest as a potential offensive coordinator in Seattle. Nevertheless, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the Giants refused the Seahawks’ request to speak with Kafka about the position. Kafka and Seahawks general manager John Schneider had two interviews last month regarding Macdonald’s hiring as head coach.

For Seattle’s open position, the Seahawks have asked to speak with Tanner Engstrand, the passing game coordinator for the Detroit Lions, Breer said. According to reports, Engstrand is also interested in speaking with Tampa Bay and New England over their offensive coordinator jobs.

The 41-year-old Engstrand has served as an offensive coordinator for two teams: the University of San Diego (2011–17) and the 2020 XFL D.C. Defenders. He served as the Lions’ passing game coordinator for two seasons before this past one.

The question of whether his offensive coordinator for the Seahawks requires NFL experience directing plays was posed to Macdonald last week. It’s not very high on the list, according to Macdonald. “The right person needs to come in here and build this thing,” the statement reads. Thus, we’re looking for someone who is receptive. It is growth-oriented. that can establish a rapport with their players and create a system exclusive to the Seattle Seahawks, who will be leading it for a very long time.

According to CBS Sports’ Jones, the Seahawks are considering Joe Cullen, the defensive line coach for the Chiefs, as a potential candidate to take over as defensive coordinator. Cullen, 56, has worked as a defensive coordinator for three teams, one of which is an NFL team: the University of Richmond (1997–2000), the Jacksonville Jaguars (2021), and the University of Indiana (2004).

Cullen and Macdonald’s connection? From 2016 to 20, Cullen oversaw Baltimore’s defensive line. Macdonald served as the team’s defensive assistant in 2016, defensive backs coach in 2017, and linebackers coach from 2018 to 20. NFL regulations state that Cullen cannot be interviewed by any team for any position until Sunday, following the Chiefs’ Super Bowl matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. Last week, Macdonald affirmed what was already clear: he is calling the defensive plays for the Seahawks. In order to implement Macdonald’s play calls and strategies to make Baltimore’s defense the first in NFL history to lead the league in turnovers, sacks, and points allowed in the same season in 2023, Schneider and the organization recruited him for just that purpose.