
Pat McPherson
Tight Ends
College: Santa Clara
Experience: 25 years
Biography
Named to his position on February 4, 2010, McPherson joined Seattle after 11 years with the Denver Broncos, most recently serving as their tight ends coach from 2007-08. Before being named to that position, he spent four years (2003-06) as quarterbacks coach for the Broncos and also served as an offensive assistant (1999-2002) and defensive assistant (1998).
Named to his position on February 4, 2010, McPherson joined Seattle after 11 years with the Denver Broncos, most recently serving as their tight ends coach from 2007-08. Before being named to that position, he spent four years (2003-06) as quarterbacks coach for the Broncos and also served as an offensive assistant (1999-2002) and defensive assistant (1998).
Last season, McPherson helped lead a tight end group that combined for more than 700 yards receiving yards and five touchdowns. Will Dissly's biggest impact may have been his blocking in the running game, while Gerald Everett finished as the team's third leading receiver despite missing two games on the COVID-19 list with 48 catches for 478 yards and four touchdowns. Colby Parkinson appeared in 14 games after a strong training camp was cut short by a foot injury that caused him to miss the start of the season.
In 2020, three different tight ends recorded at least 20 receptions for more than 200 yards. Will Dissly (24-251), Jacob Hollister (25-209), and Greg Olsen (24-239) helped the tight end group register 75 catches for 715 yards and six touchdowns. Dissly played in 16 games (10 starts) for the first time in his career. Olsen finished his career with 8,683 yards, fifth most by a tight end in NFL history.
McPherson's tight ends were again tested for depth in 2019 as Will Dissly again suffered a season-ending injury, this time an achilles, but not before logging 23 catches for 262 yards and four touchdowns. Jacob Hollister emerged as one of Russell Wilson's go-to targets by the end of the year and recorded career-highs in receptions (41), yards (349), and touchdowns (3) while playing in just 11 games with three starts. Luke Willson made a return to the Seahawks tight ends room, signing as a free agent during the season and adding eight catches for 79 yards.
McPherson's group's depth was tested in 2018 as fourth-round draft choice Will Dissly saw his season cut short due to a knee injury and offseason acquisition Ed Dickson sidelined for half of the season, leading tight end Nick Vannett to start nine of 15 games played and posting career-highs in catches (29), yards (269) and touchdowns (3). Dissly did make his mark in limited time, becoming the the first rookie tight end in NFL history to start his career with at least one touchdown and more than 40 yards receiving in back-to-back games during Weeks 1-2. Also, his 66-yard reception at Denver was the longest reception by a Seahawks rookie since Darrell Jackson (71 yards) in 2000.
Jimmy Graham enjoyed another Pro Bowl year in 2017 and re-wrote franchise records by a tight end in club history. It was Graham's fifth trip to the annual all-star game after hauling in 10 touchdown receptions, the second-most in the NFL and the most among tight ends in franchise history in a single-season. With 57 receptions for 520 yards and 10 touchdowns, those totals helped Graham become the franchise's all-time leader by a tight end in catches (170), yards (2,048) and touchdowns (18).
In 2016, McPherson helped Graham return from a torn patellar tendon and turn in a Pro Bowl season as he ranked second on the team with 65 receptions for 923 yards with six touchdowns.
Graham joined McPherson's group in 2015 but saw his season cut short after 11 games and 48 receptions for 605 yards and two touchdowns.
In their Super Bowl XLVIII winning season, Zach Miller and Luke Willson combined for 53 receptions for 659 and six touchdowns, with a career-high tying five coming from Miller.
In 2012, Miller and Anthony McCoy each had three touchdowns while Miller hauled in 38 passes for 396 yards and McCoy had career-highs in catches (18), yards (291) and touchdowns.
In Denver, McPherson's promotion to quarterbacks coach in 2003 coincided with the Broncos signing of Jake Plummer. Plummer's 39-15 regular-season record (.722) from 2003-06 with McPherson as his position coach marked the fourth-best winning percentage among all NFL signal callers. In addition, Plummer concluded his career with Denver as its all-time leader in passer rating (84.3).
In 2004, Plummer set a Broncos single-season record for passing yards (4,089) while tying the team's record for most touchdown passes (27) in a season and directing the AFC's No. 3 pass offense (249.9 ypg). Additionally, the signal-caller posted 499 passing yards against the Falcons (10/31/04) for the highest single-game total in franchise history.
Plummer took his game to new levels under McPherson in 2005, leading Denver to a 13-3 record, an AFC West title and a berth in the AFC Championship Game while throwing for 3,366 yards.
McPherson in 2006 helped ease rookie quarterback Jay Cutler's transition into the NFL as the first-round draft choice started Denver's final five games and made league history in the process. Cutler became the first rookie in NFL history and one of only two players in league annals to throw at least two touchdown passes in each of his first four games.
McPherson was hired by the Broncos following a four-year coaching stint at his high school alma mater, Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose, Calif. In addition to football, his duties included teaching English, algebra and physical fitness at the school.
During his tenure at Bellarmine, the football team compiled a record of 35-11, won three consecutive league titles and made one section championship appearance. He also gained valuable coaching experience volunteering with the San Francisco 49ers in 1996, serving in a defensive quality control capacity.
McPherson holds a bachelor's degree in English and an MBA from Santa Clara, where he captained the football team and was voted Most Inspirational Player as an inside linebacker during his senior season of 1992. He began his collegiate career in 1987 at UCLA, where he received the Charles Pike Award, which recognizes the school's outstanding freshman football player. McPherson signed with the 49ers as a rookie free agent in 1993.
His father, Bill McPherson, coached in the NFL for 21 years and worked as a personnel consultant for the San Francisco 49ers before retiring in February 2005.
McPherson was an all-state and All-America inside linebacker at Bellarmine College Prep and earned Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors as a senior. In April 2004, McPherson was inducted into Bellarmine's Athletic Hall of Fame.
McPherson worked with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in Santa Clara, Calif., in 1994, organizing and implementing the chapter's largest fund-raising event, the 1994 MS Walk.
He was born on April 15, 1969, in Santa Clara, Calif. and has two sons, Jackson and Grayson.