Entering his 24th season as an NFL coach, Kirk Olivadotti enters his first season as senior defensive assistant after serving as the Seahawks' inside linebackers coach from 2024–25. He joined the Seahawks coaching staff on February 13, 2024, following five seasons (2019–23) as the inside linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers.

Entering his 24th season as an NFL coach, Kirk Olivadotti enters his first season as senior defensive assistant after serving as the Seahawks' inside linebackers coach from 2024–25. He joined the Seahawks coaching staff on February 13, 2024, following five seasons (2019–23) as the inside linebackers coach for the Green Bay Packers.

Last season, Seattle's inside linebackers emerged as one of the most productive units on the league's top defense. Ernest Jones IV earned AP All‑Pro honors after becoming the only player in the NFL to record 100‑plus tackles and five interceptions, with his five picks tying for second-most in the league and setting a franchise record by a linebacker. Olivadotti also helped accelerate the development of Drake Thomas, who stepped into a starting role and finished second on the team with 89 tackles, added 10 tackles for loss, and recorded 3.5 sacks.

Olivadotti led a linebacker group that saw significant change during the 2024 season. Acquired on October 24, 2024, Ernest Jones IV played in 10 games for Seattle, leading the club in tackles seven times. He finished the season with 136 tackles, his third consecutive season with 100 tackles. Olivadotti aided the development of rookie Tyrice Knight, who started nine of 16 games and tallied 87 tackles.

In 2023, his unit helped Green Bay allow 20 or fewer points nine times during the regular season. LB Quay Walker led the team with 118 tackles and became one of three Packers since the merger (1970) with 100-plus tackles in both of his first two NFL seasons (Nick Barnett, 2003-04; A.J. Hawk, 2006-07).

In 2022, Olivadotti led the development of first-round selection LB Quay Walker as he was named to the PFWA's All-Rookie team, the first Green Bay inside linebacker to be selected to the team since A.J. Hawk in 2006. Walker led the Packers and ranked No. 2 among NFL rookies with 119 total tackles, the fifth most by a Green Bay rookie since 1975.

He helped guide LB De'Vondre Campbell to the best season of his career in 2021 as he was named first-team All-Pro by The Associated Press after he led the Packers defense with a career-high 145 tackles (101 solo). Campbell was the first Packers inside linebacker to earn first-team All-Pro honors since Ray Nitschke in 1966.

Olivadotti's first season in Green Bay in 2019, his linebackers helped Green Bay's defense finish No. 9 in the NFL in points allowed (19.6 ppg.), the first time the Packers had finished in the top 10 in the league in the category since 2010.

Prior to coming to Green Bay, he spent 16 seasons with the Washington Commanders (2000-10, 2014-18), helping Washington finish in the top-10 in the league in overall defense in eight seasons (2000-02, 2004-05, 2007-09). He is one of 11 members on the team's assistant coach honor roll, which recognizes coaches with 10-plus seasons of service as an assistant in Washington. He coached inside linebackers at the University of Georgia from 2011-13, including Alec Ogletree, who was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the first round (No. 30 overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft. He helped the Bulldogs win two SEC East titles and 30 games during his three seasons in Athens.

In 2015, Olivadotti coached a unit that helped Washington to an NFC East title despite featuring a rotating cast of players due to injuries. Keenan Robinson and Perry Riley Jr. began the season as the starters on the inside, but with both sustaining injuries, Olivadotti developed Compton into a reliable starter as he ranked No. 2 on the club with 93 tackles (51 solo).

In 2009, Olivadotti tutored a pair of linebackers to their first career Pro Bowls, with London Fletcher earning the honor for the first time in his 12 years in the league and Brian Orakpo becoming the first Washington defensive rookie to be selected since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Fletcher led the team with 172 tackles (108 solo), while Orakpo set a team rookie record with 11 sacks, which led all NFL rookies in 2009 and was tied for the most among NFC linebackers with Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware.

In 2008, Olivadotti's linebackers played a pivotal role in Washington ranking No. 4 in the league in overall defense (288.8 ypg), No. 6 in points allowed (18.5 ppg) and No. 8 in rushing defense (95.4 ypg). In his first season as linebackers coach in 2007, the team finished No. 8 in the NFL in overall defense (305.3 ypg) and No. 4 in rushing defense (91.3 ypg) as the tandem of Fletcher (156) and Rocky McIntosh (105) finished as the team's top tacklers.

In 2006, Olivadotti served as defensive line assistant/special teams assistant for Washington. He also assisted with the special teams in 2004-05 in addition to working as a defensive quality control coach. Olivadotti served as a defensive quality control coach for his first four seasons (2000-03) with the team and also assisted with the defensive backs. He was a part of staffs that helped Washington rank No. 3 in the league in overall defense in 2004 (267.6 ypg, No. 4 in team history), No. 5 in 2002 (299.2 ypg) and No. 4 in 2000 (280.1 ypg).

Began his coaching career on the collegiate level in 1997 at Maine Maritime Academy as the wide receivers/tight ends coach for one season. Worked at Indiana State for two seasons (1998-99) as an assistant before making the transition to the NFL.

Olivadotti was a four-year letterwinner as a wide receiver at Purdue from 1993-96. His father, Tom, was a defensive assistant coach in the NFL for 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns (1985-86), Miami Dolphins (1987-95), Minnesota Vikings (1996-99), N.Y. Giants (2000-03) and Houston Texans (2004-05). He also was the defensive coordinator for the University of Miami in 1983 when the Hurricanes won their first national title.

Born on January 1, 1974, in Wilmington, Del., Olivadotti earned his bachelor's degree in education and his master's degree in education administration, both from Purdue. He and his wife, Keely, have a daughter, Kasyn, and a son, Kruz.