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Hawks Playbook Podcast Episode 46 – Coaching Carousal

Open: Welcome back to the Hawks Playbook Podcasts with Hosts Bill Alvstad and Keith Myers. Well Seahawks fans, you got what you’ve been asking for…. Some for more than a year. The Seahawks have fired Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell and Offensive Line Coach Tom Cable.  Many fans blamed the two often maligned coaches for everything that was wrong with the offense.  In today’s episode, we will look into the whole situation, including other reported movement that may or may not take place with the coaching staff.

In the News:

  • Seahawks officially fire Bevell and Cable. Cable has already landed his next coaching gig as OL Coach for the Raiders.
  • The Seahawks, as reported by multiple sources have offered the Offensive Coordinator job to Indianapolis QB Coach, Brian Shottenheimer. As of Tuesday’s recording, this has yet to be announced as official by the team.
  • Reports also suggest that Seattle’s QB coach Carl Smith has been asked to leave, and DC Kris Richard has been told to seek other opportunities. Both reports are unconfirmed, but it seems likely that both coaches will not return to the team in 2018.
  • The team has reportedly hired previous linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. to become the new Defensive Coordinator, leaving Richards role with the team in question.
  • The Seahawks have also reportedly hired offensive line coach Mike Solari to replace the outgoing OL coach, Tom Cable.
  • Jeremy Lane was arrested on suspicion of DUI after being stopped in the early morning hours on Monday. Lane, who has two mostly unguaranteed years remaining on his contract, was already a likely cap casualty in the off-season. This may make that path more certain.

             Featured Segment One: Some coaches fired, others will come onboard.

I was never a Bevell hater, nor did I call for his job to be taken away until the second half of this season.  I just believed that Bevell was only capable of being as good as the talent he was given. But it became apparent that changes were necessary in order for this team and its players to have the best chance to win.  In addition, Bevell had a long history of slow starts with the offense and had a poke, prod and adjust philosophy in first halves though out his tenure. Many questioned whether this held back Russell Wilson, and I think rightly so.

On the other hand, both Keith and I, as well as virtually everyone else had been calling for Cables head for multiple years. Maybe as time goes on, we will hear why exactly that Pete held on to him, at least one year too long. But now that those two figures are gone, what is next.

Enter Brian Shottenheimer. Coach Shotts brings plenty of coaching experience with him, with stops in San Diego, Cleveland, St. Louis (LA), the Jets and most recently with the Colts. Some of those stops included a role as Offensive Coordinator.  The real question is, Does Shottenheimer bring the right blend of experience, and does he fit into what Pete Carroll wants?

Shottenheimer was hired to execute Pete Carroll’s philosophy and vision and sublimate his own interests, and continue to develop an offense around the dynamic Russell Wilson at quarterback.  If what you were after was a young, unproven but up and coming innovative force as offensive coordinator, then you will be disappointed.  Pete is going back to his tried and true philosophy of a rock-solid run game, and he trusts that Wilson is far enough along in his development to ensure that we will still have a dynamic passing attack.

With the hires of both Ken Norton Jr. and Mike Solari, it shows that Coach Pete Carroll is taking out a massive bet on himself. To get back to a team identity that is true to his core coaching beliefs and play smash mouth football.

Close: Thanks again for listening to the show. Be sure to subscribe to the show on iTunes or your favorite Android app. Mine is Castbox. I have tried over a dozen podcast apps, and this one is head and shoulders above all the rest.  You can find both Bill and Keith on Twitter. Bill is @NWSeahawk and Keith is @MyersNFL.  See you next week.

Go Hawks!