The Seahawks’ coaching search no longer needs to wait.
But the events of Sunday indicate that their search for a successor to Pete Carroll that has been characterized by its patience may need to pick up speed.
Baltimore’s 17-10 loss to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game means the Seahawks can interview Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald immediately.
NFL rules required the Seahawks would have had to wait until after the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 if the Ravens had won.
Detroit’s loss means the Seahawks or Washington — the two teams still with head-coach openings — can hire either Macdonald or Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson immediately.
NFL rules require that coaches cannot be officially hired while their seasons are still ongoing.
It appears the Seahawks will have to get in line to talk to Macdonald as shortly after Kansas City’s win over Baltimore ended, ESPN reported that Washington had already scheduled an interview with Macdonald for Monday.
Washington has already talked with Macdonald once, doing so the week after the regular season. The Seahawks have not talked to Macdonald.
Confirming long-held speculation that he was on the Seahawks’ list, ESPN and the NFL Network reported Sunday that they want to interview Macdonald.
Those reports, which arrived Sunday morning, stated the Seahawks were willing to wait until after the Super Bowl to interview Macdonald, putting the hiring process on hold for two more weeks.
