Michael Macdonald (born June 26, 1987) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He began his career with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014, serving as a defensive assistant. In 2021, Macdonald left the Ravens to become the defensive coordinator of the Michigan Wolverines. He rejoined the Ravens a year later as their defensive coordinator, a position he held from 2022 to 2023. Macdonald was named the head coach of the Seahawks in 2024 and led them to a victory in Super Bowl LX the following year.
Macdonald was born on June 26, 1987, in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia, where he played baseball and football at Centennial. Macdonald played linebacker and fullback for the Knights, but frequently suffered stingers and eventually tore his ACL while practicing for what would have been his last high school game.
Macdonald attended the University of Georgia, where he studied finance at the Terry College of Business and graduated summa cum laude in 2010. Macdonald was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and, while still a student at Georgia, he also coached high school football at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, Georgia.
In May 2010, Macdonald joined Mark Richt's coaching staff as a graduate assistant with the Georgia Bulldogs football program. He also served as a safeties and defensive quality control coach at Georgia from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, while coaching at Georgia, Macdonald earned a master's degree in sport management from the Mary Frances Early College of Education at the University of Georgia.
Macdonald served on John Harbaugh's coaching staff with the Baltimore Ravens for seven seasons from 2014 to 2020. He was hired as an intern in 2014 and was promoted to defensive assistant in January 2015, defensive backs coach in January 2017, and linebackers coach in January 2018.
In January 2021, Macdonald joined Jim Harbaugh's staff at Michigan, as the defensive coordinator of the Michigan Wolverines football program. In Macdonald's lone season at the University of Michigan, the Wolverines posted a top 10 national defense, went undefeated at home, won the Big Ten Conference Championship, and played in the College Football Playoff. The team finished with a national ranking of No. 3 and a final record of 12âÂÂ2.
On January 27, 2022, Macdonald was re-hired by the Ravens as their defensive coordinator under head coach John Harbaugh, replacing Don Martindale. In 2022, Macdonald led the Ravens' defense to only allowing 315 points in 17 games. Averaging just under 19 points per game, the Ravens' defense was ranked the fourth best defense in the league.
In 2023, the Ravens' defensive unit improved under Macdonald as they only allowed 280 points in total on the season, the fewest in the NFL. The Ravens would advance to the AFC Championship Game, and despite losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens held the Chiefs to just 17 points, marking the team's sixth consecutive game where they held an opponent to 20 points or less.
On January 31, 2024, Macdonald was hired by the Seattle Seahawks as their head coach to replace Pete Carroll. He beat out Ejiro Evero, Patrick Graham, Ben Johnson, Mike Kafka, Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Bobby Slowik, and Frank Smith for the job. At the time of his hiring, Macdonald was the youngest head coach in the NFL.
Macdonald began his inaugural season with Seattle by leading the team to three straight victories for the first time since 2020. The team followed this start by going on a three-game losing streak. By the Seahawks' Week 10 bye, the team held a record of 4âÂÂ5, falling to last place in the NFC West. The team improved to 5âÂÂ5 in Week 11 when they defeated the reigning NFC champions and division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers on the road 20âÂÂ17. In Week 18, Macdonald led the team to a 30âÂÂ25 victory against the division rival Los Angeles Rams on route to his 10th coaching win in his first season, becoming the first head coach in franchise history to reach 10 wins in his inaugural season. The Seahawks finished with a 10âÂÂ7 record but missed the postseason in Macdonald's first season as head coach.
In his second season after a Week 4 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals, Macdonald became the fifth head coach in NFL history to win nine of his first 10 road games. His 10 consecutive road victories also stand as the longest streak in franchise history.
After defeating the San Francisco 49ers by a score of 13âÂÂ3 in Week 18 and holding Kyle Shanahan to the lowest offensive point and yardage total of his coaching career, the Seahawks finished the regular season at 14âÂÂ3, setting a franchise record for wins in a season and winning the NFC West and finishing as #1 seed in the NFC.
Macdonald won the first playoff game of his career when the Seahawks defeated the 49ers in a rematch in the divisional round by a score of 41âÂÂ6. In the NFC Championship, the Seahawks won 31âÂÂ27 against the Los Angeles Rams, thus qualifying for Super Bowl LX. In Super Bowl LX, the Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29âÂÂ13, giving Macdonald his first Super Bowl win as a coach and the second title overall for the Seahawks franchise. At age 38, Macdonald became the third-youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl, behind Sean McVay and Mike Tomlin.
Macdonald is a Christian. He and his wife, Stephanie, have been married since 2021. They have a son.