Former Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny is set to begin another chapter in his football life. No, not with an NFL comeback, but a coaching gig at the high school level.
The Seattle Times’ Mike Vorel reported Jordan High School in Long Beach, California introduced Penny as its new football coach.
Penny addressed his new gig in a phone interview with Vorel on Thursday.
“It’s going to be a challenge. But for me, I’m so excited to embrace this challenge,” Penny told Vorel. “Because there’s great kids there. There’s great talent there. They just need the right coaching and the techniques and details, which were so spot-on in Seattle and Philadelphia (where Penny played in 2023).
“That’s what made me be like, ‘You know what, I want to do this.’ Because I know how important the little things are.”
Rashaad Penny to Become High School Football Coach
Penny hasn’t played for the Seahawks in four years. But he spent five campaigns with the organization, all of which was when Pete Carroll was head coach.
While talking to Vorel, Penny shared how Carroll will influence his coaching style.
“I used to take kickoff returns at practice, and this guy used to run down the field with me. At the time he was probably 67 or 70, whatever age he was,” Penny said of his former Seahawks head coach. “That was truly impressive, every kickoff-return day, to see that. The energy was contagious. Everybody was just always in a good mood.
“To try to recreate that environment in a high school is super cool, to let them know that football is supposed to be fun. It’s not a miserable sport. You can’t be miserable playing football. If you are, that’s a program problem or coach’s problem.”
Penny also expressed how much he loves the Seahawks and Seattle. It sounds as though the new high school coach will use his experience with the two-time Super Bowl champions every day in his new job.
Penny’s NFL Career Ended in 2024
If things had gone the way the Seahawks wanted, Penny would still be playing.
The former running back only turned 30 years old in February. But several significant injuries contributed to an early retirement.
The Seahawks selected Penny at No. 27 overall in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He led the NFL with a 6.3 yards per carry average through 10 games in 2021. That was supposed to be his breakout campaign.
But Penny suffered a broken fibula during Week 5 of 2022. A couple years prior to that, an ACL injury sidelined Penny.
The running back became a free agent in 2023 following his broken fibula. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency but Penny only played in three games.
The next offseason, Penny signed with the Carolina Panthers. About three months later, though, the running back landed on the reserve/retired list.
Penny finished his NFL career with 1,951 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry.
The running back also caught 28 passes for 227 receiving yards and a score.
Penny played all but three games of his NFL career with the Seahawks.
Former Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny Addresses Next Football Gig