Mike Macdonald was named the ninth head coach in Seattle Seahawks history on January 31, 2024.

Mike Macdonald was named the ninth head coach in Seattle Seahawks history on January 31, 2024.

Macdonald joined Seattle after spending nine of 10 seasons (2014–23) with the Baltimore Ravens, serving the last two seasons as defensive coordinator. He spent the 2021 season as the University of Michigan's defensive coordinator. Prior to his time with the Wolverines, Macdonald spent seven seasons (2014–20) in Baltimore, serving as linebackers coach (2018–20), defensive backs coach (2017), defensive assistant (2015–16), and defensive coaching intern (2014).

Last season, Macdonald led Seattle to a franchise-record 14 regular-season wins, secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and captured the second Super Bowl title in franchise history with a 29–13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Macdonald became the third-youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl and the ninth first-time head coach to win a championship within his first two seasons. His 17 wins in 2025, including the postseason, are the most by a head coach under the age of 40 in a single season in NFL history. His 27 wins over his first two seasons, including playoffs, are tied for the most by a head coach in NFL history (Jim Harbaugh, Steve Mariucci).

The Seahawks set a franchise record with eight road wins (8–1) in 2025, and Macdonald ranks second in NFL history with 15 road victories by a head coach in his first two seasons.

En route to its second Super Bowl title, Seattle boasted the league's top scoring defense (17.2 ppg), and ranked in the top-five in several key categories: point differential (1st, franchise-record +191), rush yards per attempt (1st, 3.7), yards per play (2nd, 4.6), rush touchdowns allowed (2nd, nine), rush yards per game (3rd, 91.9), and interceptions (5th, 18). Including the postseason, Macdonald led the Seahawks to 14 wins in their final 15 contests, while finishing on a 10-game winning streak. In addition, Seattle ranks first in the NFL with a 20–5 record over its last 25 regular-season games.

In Macdonald's first season as head coach, Seattle finished second in the NFC West with a 10-7 record, marking the Seahawks' 14th double-digit win season in franchise history and the ninth time reaching 10 wins in the last 13 seasons. Macdonald became the winningest first-year head coach in franchise history, surpassing Chuck Knox and Mike Holmgren, each with nine wins. The team concluded the season by winning six of its final eight games, led by a defense that ranked fourth in the NFL in yards allowed (304.8), fifth in points per game (18.4), fifth in first downs allowed (18.1), and sixth in pass defense (205.0) during Weeks 11-18.

In 2023, he was named the PFWA Assistant Coach of the Year after leading one of the most dominant defensive units in NFL history. That Ravens defense became the first to finish a season ranked No. 1 in points allowed per game (16.5), sacks (60), and takeaways (31, tied). It also led the league in point differential (+203) and turnover margin (+12, tied). The unit was anchored by four AP All-Pros—safety Kyle Hamilton, defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, and linebackers Patrick Queen and Roquan Smith. Madubuike led all interior linemen with 13.0 sacks, and safety Geno Stone ranked second in the NFL with seven interceptions.

After one season at Michigan, Macdonald returned to the Ravens as their defensive coordinator in 2022, where he found immediate success. That year, Baltimore ranked third in scoring defense (18.5 ppg), third in run defense (92.1 ypg), third in red zone defense (46.4%), and fourth in third-down defense (34.9%).

While leading the defense at Michigan in 2021, Macdonald's unit posted the nation's No. 8 scoring defense (17.4 ppg), ranked 20th in yards allowed per game (330.9), and finished 11th in red zone defense (45.7%). He played an instrumental role in the breakout season of No. 2 overall pick DE Aidan Hutchinson, who earned first-team All-America honors and was a Heisman Trophy finalist after recording a career-high and single-season school record 14.0 sacks.

From 2018-20, Macdonald led a Ravens linebacking corps that helped Baltimore produce the NFL's No. 1 overall defense (307.8 ypg) over that span, while also allowing the league's fewest points per game (18.2). LBs Matthew Judon (2019-20) and C.J. Mosley (2018) earned Pro Bowl honors under Macdonald's tutelage.

In 2020, Baltimore allowed the NFL's second-fewest points (18.9) and seventh-fewest yards (329.8 ypg). The Ravens also had the league's No. 2 third-down defense (34.0%) and produced an NFL-high 25 forced fumbles.

The Ravens upheld their strong defensive tradition in 2019, allowing the NFL's third-fewest points (17.6) and fourth-fewest yards (300.6 ypg). Baltimore also ranked fifth against the run (93.4 ypg) and sixth in pass defense (207.2 ypg), en route to a franchise-best 14–2 record and a second-straight AFC North Division title. In 2018, the Ravens boasted the NFL's No. 1 defense, allowing just 292.9 yards per game and the second-fewest points per game (17.9).

Before joining Baltimore in 2014, Macdonald spent four seasons (2010-13) at the University of Georgia, first as a student assistant (2010), then three years as a graduate assistant, working primarily with the linebackers. He helped mentor LB Ramik Wilson, who earned first-team All-SEC honors after leading the conference with 133 total tackles, including 11 for loss.

While attending Georgia, Macdonald began his coaching career at Cedar Shoals High School, coaching linebackers and running backs under head coach Xarvia Smith—his former coach at Centennial High School in Roswell, Ga.

Macdonald graduated summa cum laude with a finance degree from Georgia's Terry College of Business in 2010 and earned his master's degree in sports management from Georgia in 2013 while serving as safeties and defensive quality control coach for the Bulldogs.

A two-sport athlete (football and baseball) at Centennial High, Macdonald and his wife, Stephanie, were married in 2021 and have one son, Jack.