Chris Partridge joined the Seahawks staff as outside linebackers coach on February 22, 2024, following one season at the University of Michigan in the same capacity.
Last season, Partridge guided the development of second-year LB Derick Hall, who set career-highs in sacks (8.0), and quarterback hits (20). Boye Mafe finished with 6.0 sacks and 12 quarterback hits, and Uchenna Nwosu returned to the field and finished the season after missing the final 11 games of 2023 and parts of 2024 due to injury.
Partridge served five of his six seasons (2015-19, 23) as a coach for the Wolverines, after beginning his career in Ann Arbor as director of player personnel in 2015, serving as linebackers coach (2016-17) and safeties coach (2018-19), while also handling special teams coordinator duties (2016-19) during his tenure.
During Michigan's national championship 2023 season, two of his linebackers (Junior Colson, Michael Barrett) were All-Big Ten Conference selections as they helped Michigan's defense rank in the top-10 nationally in the following categories: red zone defense (sixth), rushing defense (sixth), interceptions (fourth), pass yards allowed (fourth), pass efficiency defense (third), total defense (second), defensive touchdowns (first), and scoring defense (first).
Partridge spent three (2020-22) seasons as the co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach at the University of Mississippi, and was the Rebels primary defensive play-caller in 2022. During his time in Oxford, Ole Miss tied the school record for most wins in a season with 10 during the 2021 season. The program also tied the record for the most players drafted with six during the 2022 NFL Draft, including four players on the defensive side of the ball.
He was named National Recruiter of the Year by Scout in 2016 and received the same honor from 247Sports in 2017. Partridge was ranked a top-five recruiter again in 2019 by 247Sports.
Partridge helped lead a defensive unit that ranked among the nation's best during his first stint on the UM staff. The Wolverines ranked first or second nationally in pass defense in each of his four seasons and helped make the defense one of the stoutest third-down units in the country over that span.
Under his direction, seven Wolverine defenders earned nine All-Big Ten accolades, including two first-team honors. He also helped Jabrill Peppers to a decorated season in 2016, when he was a consensus All-American at linebacker, won the Big Ten's Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, and Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year awards, and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Michigan's special teams also saw an uptick under Partridge. Six individuals earned 10 All-Big Ten honors including 2018 second-team All-American punter Will Hart, who was also named the Big Ten's Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year and set the single-season and single-game punting average records.
Partridge came to Ann Arbor after serving as head coach at New Jersey's Paramus Catholic High School. He grew a football program ranked 4,250th nationally and 112th in the state of New Jersey, to the top-ranked team in the state and No. 4 nationally by USA Today. He coached and mentored more than 30 Division I football players during that time, as well as various All-Americans.
Partridge earned his bachelor's degree in government and law from Lafayette College, where he also played linebacker, in 2003.
He and his wife, Marissa, have two daughters, Mia, and Gianna.
