Pete Carroll left no background unturned in compiling his coaching staff with the Seahawks.
The 20-man group, which was officially announced Wednesday, includes veteran NFL coaches, NFL players turned coaches, seven members from Carroll’s staff at the University of Southern California and two holdovers from Jim Mora’s staff – defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and defensive line coach Dan Quinn. The ages of the assistants range from 30 to 68, their experience from a few years to several decades.
“I’m excited about the makeup of our staff. It’s an energetic group of teachers with a nice blend of experience,” said Head Coach Pete Carroll. “Now we can turn our focus on the task at hand – competing in the NFC West.”
Jeremy Bates is the offensive coordinator, the same position he held last season at USC. Before that, Bates worked on Mike Shanahan’s staff with the Denver Broncos – as did quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch, offensive line coach Alex Gibbs and tight ends coach Pat McPherson.
A quintet of former NFL players is led by Sherman Smith, the Seahawks’ leading rusher in each of their first four seasons who now will coach the running backs. But it also includes former Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jerry Gray, who will coach the defensive backs; former 49ers’ linebacker Ken Norton Jr., who will coach the linebackers; former Seahawks cornerback Kris Richard, who will assist Gray in coaching the defensive backs; and former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Jeff Ulbrich, who will assist Bruce Schneider in coaching the special teams.
Schneider is one of the assistants that followed Carroll from USC to the Seahawks, a group that also includes strength and conditioning coaches Chris Carlisle and Jamie Yanchar and quality control coaches Dave Canales and Rocky Seto, as well as Bates and Fisch.
While Gibbs tops the list of veteran NFL coaches, it also includes wide receivers coach Kippy Brown, assistant offensive line coach Art Valero and strength and conditioning coach Mondray Gee.
Here’s a closer look at the 18 new coaches on Carroll’s staff:
OFFENSE
Coordinator: Jeremy Bates
Spent last season as Carroll’s offensive coordinator at USC, and Carroll has called him “one of the young, unbelievably bright minds in the NFL.” Prior to his stint at USC, Bates, 33, was an assistant coach for the Denver Broncos (2006-08), New York Jets (2005) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2002-04), working under Mike Shanahan, Jon Gruden and Jeff Fisher. A quarterback at Tennessee and Rice, Bates coached the position for all three teams. His father, Jim, is a long-time NFL coach who has served as defensive coordinator for the Falcons, Dolphins, Broncos and Bucs.
Quarterbacks: Jedd Fisch
Spent last season as the offensive coordinator at the University of Minnesota. Fisch, 33, broke into coaching in 1998 with the New Jersey team in the Arena League and then was a graduate assistant for two seasons at the University of Florida. He has since coached in various capacities for the Houston Texans (2001-2003), Baltimore Ravens (2004-07) and Denver Broncos (2008). He coached wide receivers with the Broncos and wide receivers and quarterbacks with the Ravens.
Running backs: Sherman Smith
You can go home, after all – even if the team has a new home. Smith, 55, was a second-round pick in the Seahawks’ inaugural draft in 1976 and the team’s leading rusher in its first four seasons. He returns to coach the position after working at Redmond Junior High and Redmond High School and college stints at Miami (Ohio), his alma mater, and Illinois. Smith then coached running backs for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (1995-2007) before spending the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator on Jim Zorn’s staff with the Washington Redskins.
Wide receivers: Kippy Brown
He has coached, and coached for, an impressive group in his 31 seasons in college and the NFL. Brown, 54, has worked for Jimmy Johnson, Tony Dungy and Sam Wyche in the NFL and Johnny Majors and Phil Fulmer in the college. The players he has worked with include Peyton Manning, Andre Johnson, Mark Clayton, Anthony Miller, Tim McGee, Alvin Harper and Carl Pickens. His coaching career has taken the former college and high school QB to Memphis State (1978-80), Louisville (1982) and Tennessee (1983-89, 1993-94 and 2009), as well as the New York Jets (1990-92), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1995), Miami Dolphins (1996-99), Green Bay Packers (2000), Houston Texans (2002-05) and Detroit Lions (2006-08).
Tight ends: Pat McPherson
Coached tight ends for the Denver Broncos for two seasons (2007-08) after coaching the quarterbacks for four seasons (2003-06). His father, Bill, was a long-time coach and front-office man for the San Francisco 49ers. McPherson, 40, previously had coaching stints with the Broncos (offensive assistant 1999-2002; defensive assistant 1998); 49ers (defensive quality control 1996); and Bellarmine Prep (defensive coordinator 1994-97).
Line: Alex Gibbs
After coaching in college for 15 years – Duke, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio State, Auburn and Georgia – Gibbs, 68, took his zone-blocking scheme to the NFL. His pro stops included the Denver Broncos (1984-87 and 1995-2003), Oakland Raiders (1988-89), San Diego Chargers (1990-91), Indianapolis Colts (1992), Kansas City Chiefs (1993-94), Atlanta Falcons (2004-06) and Houston Texans (2008-09). Gibbs has been referred to as the guru, savant and Godfather of the zone-blocking scheme.
Assistant line: Art Valero
He was with the St. Louis Rams the past two seasons as assistant head coach/running backs (2008) and assistant offensive line (2009). Prior to that, Valero, 52, coached with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for six seasons (2002-07) and was assistant head coach the last two. He also has coached at Louisville (1998-2001), Utah State (1995-97), Idaho (1990-94), Iowa State (1983), Long Beach State (1984-86), New Mexico (1987-89) and Boise State (1981-82), his alma mater. With the Seahawks, he will assistant Alex Gibbs.
Quality control: Luke Butkus
He went to training camp with the Chicago Bears (2002) and San Diego Chargers (2003) and played one season at center with the Rhein Fire of NFL Europa (2003). Butkus, 30, was then a graduate assistant at Oregon (2005-06) and assistant offensive line coach with the Bears (2007-09). With the Seahawks, he will assist Gibbs and Valero, as well as handle the other duties that go with being a quality control coach. He is the nephew of Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus.
Quality control: Dave Canales
He was an offensive administrative assistant last season on Carroll’s USC staff. Prior to that, Canales coached at El Camino Junior College and Carson High School, where he worked with the wide receivers and tight ends.
DEFENSE
Linebackers: Ken Norton Jr.
The son of former heavyweight champion Ken Norton, it’s difficult to determine whether the younger Norton has left a bigger mark as a player or a coach. After averaging 8.8 yards rushing as a running back at Westchester (Calif.) High School, Norton, now 43, became a standout linebacker at UCLA and then in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers – winning three Super Bowl rings and being voted to three Pro Bowls. Since becoming the linebackers coach at USC in 2004, Norton’s protégés have included the Seahawks’ 
Defensive backs: Jerry Gray
Like Norton, Gray, 47, had a Pro Bowl career before becoming a coach. A first-round draft choice in 1985 out of Texas, Gray played for the Los Angeles Rams (1985-91), Houston Oilers (1992) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993). He has been the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills (2001-05) and also coached for the Tennessee Titans (1997-2000) and Washington Redskins (2006-09) after coaching at Southern Methodist (1995-96).
Assistant defensive backs: Kris Richard
Like Sherman Smith, Richard, 30, entered the NFL as a Seahawks’ draft choice – third round in 2002. After three seasons with the Seahawks, he also played for the San Francisco 49ers (2005). Richard, who played at USC (1998-2001), joined Pete Carroll’s Trojans in 2008 as a graduate assistant. In this stint with the Seahawks, Richard will assist Jerry Gray in coaching the cornerbacks and safeties.
Quality control: Rocky Seto
Another member of Carroll’s USC staff, Seto, 33, was defensive coordinator last season after Nick Holt left to join Steve Sarkisian’s staff at the University of Washington. Seto has been with the Trojans since 1999, first as a volunteer assistant and later as a graduate assistant (2000) before coaching the safeties (2003), linebackers (2004-05) and secondary (2006-08). He also played linebacker for the Trojans (1997-98). His full name is Haruki Rocky Seto, and he’s named after boxer Rocky Maricano.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Coordinator: Brian Schneider
He also has coached tight ends, linebackers and safeties in college, but Schneider, 38, has always coached special teams. He broke into coaching at Colorado State (1994-2002), his alma mater, before moving to UCLA (2003-05) and Iowa State (2006). He coached special teams for the Oakland Raiders (2007-08) before joining Carroll’s staff at USC last season.
Assistant: Jeff Ulbrich
Yes, that Jeff Ulbrich, the former 49ers linebacker who retired last season after getting a severe concussion. Ulbrich, 32, was a third-round draft choice in 2000. Ulbrich went to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., last week looking for a coach job and found one. He will assist Brian Schneider, who was Carroll’s special teams coach at USC.
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
Head: Chris Carlisle
Another member of Carroll’s USC staff, Carlisle, 47, was the Trojans’ head strength and conditioning coach for nine years (2001-09). Prior to that, he was associate head strength and conditioning coach at Tennessee (1998-2000); offensive line coach and strength coach at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, (1997); head coach and strength coach at Subiaco (Ark.) Academy (1993-96); a strength and conditioning graduate assistant at Arkansas (1992-93); offensive line coach and strength coach at Blytheville (Ark.) High (1986-91); and head coach and strength coach at Dodge (Neb.) High (1985).
Assistant: Mondray Gee
After spending the past two seasons as a strength and conditioning assistant with the Green Bay Packers, Gee, 34, is part of a complete makeover of the Seahawks’ strength and conditioning staff. Prior to joining the Packers, he worked as a strength and conditioning assistant for the Detroit Lions (2001-07) and in many capacities at Michigan State University (1996-2001).
Assistant: Jamie Yanchar
Like Carlisle, Yanchar, also comes to the Seahawks from USC. Yanchar became the interim head strength and conditioning coach for the Trojans after Carlisle left, before deciding to follow Carlisle and Carroll to Seattle. Yanchar had been at USC since 1990.
