The NFL world just received stunning and shocking news in this coaching cycle. Seattle Seahawks' head coach Pete Carroll has moved on as head coach of the team and will remain within the organization as an advisor. It's hard to find a coach who has been as successful as Seattle has been with Pete Carroll at the helm over the last 14 seasons. Seattle has a winning record in 11 of those 14 seasons, and that doesn't include the season the Seahawks won the NFC West at 7-9 and a beastquake ensued in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle also won a Super Bowl under Carroll's stewardship.

That is just among the many accolades the Seahawks have registered with Carroll in charge.

But after a 9-8 season, the Seahawks and Carroll have decided it is time for a new voice. The Seahawks will instantly become one of the most coveted head coach openings that are available and will have no shortage of potential suitors. However, there are two head coaching candidates, in particular, that stand out as who can take over as the next head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

Dan Quinn

Dan Quinn next to Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks)

It would seem that the favorite to be the next Seahawks' head coach is Dan Quinn. Quinn would make a lot of sense to be the next Seahawks' coach. He was the defensive coordinator of the Seahawks during the fabled Legion of Boom days and held that position when they won the Super Bowl and made another. He was a successful head coach with the Atlanta Falcons as well and made a Super Bowl with them, although that did not end the way he or any Falcons fan wanted it to end.

He's also done a great job as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys since arriving in Dallas two seasons ago. Since the 2022 season, no team has a better EPA allowed per play than Dan Quinn's Cowboys. The Cowboys also rank fourth in EPA allowed per dropback in that span, behind only the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and New York Jets.

It would be easy to see why the Seahawks would want Quinn back. Not only are they familiar with Quinn and his coaching acumen, but they could also really use him. In that same stretch Quinn's Cowboys have been the best defense in the league, the Seahawks' defense ranks as the NFL's second-worst, ahead of only the Arizona Cardinals. There are a lot of qualified coaches available for the Seahawks to hire, but Quinn looks to be the best fit among them.

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GM John Schneider in the middle, Kris Jenkins, Cooper Beebe, Cedric Gray around him, and Seattle Seahawks wallpaper in the background

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A blank silhouette/outline of a person with the logo for the Seattle Seahawks in the middle. On either side of the silhouette/outline are University of Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and University of Georgia tackle Amarius Mims.

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Former Mike Macdonald and Geno Smith mentor Pete Carroll with John Schneider

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Shane Waldron

 

If the Seahawks want to hire from within, Shane Waldron could be the way to go. Waldron was hired to become Seattle's offensive coordinator after spending three seasons as the Los Angeles Rams' passing game coordinator. He transferred that success with the Rams over to Seattle. During his three seasons as the Seahawks' offensive coordinator, Seattle ranks tenth in the NFL in EPA per play on offense. They also rank 12th in the NFL in EPA per dropback.

Waldron helped usher the Seahawks' offense into a new era after they traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos for the haul they got back for him. Geno Smith has shined these last two seasons and Waldron played a part in that. The Seahawks may look elsewhere to fill their head coaching vacancy, but promoting Waldron would not be the worst idea.