Getty The Seattle Seahawks are searching for a new head coach after moving on from Pete Carroll.
The Seattle Seahawks are in the market for a new head coach after parting ways with Pete Carroll. One potential name to watch is former rival coach Jim Harbaugh. KJR Seattle’s Dick Fain made the argument for Harbaugh to be the next Seahawks head coach.
“I don’t like Jim Harbaugh at all but he’s an ELITE head coach,” Fain detailed in a January 10, 2024 message. “You know who else I didn’t like at all 14 years ago? Pete Carroll.”
It would be a surprise move as Carroll is still involved with the team and had a longtime rivalry with Harbaugh dating back to the USC-Stanford collegiate battles. The Seahawks had intense battles against Harbaugh during his time as San Francisco 49ers head coach.
It remains to be seen whether Seattle will make a run at Harbaugh who is still the Michigan Wolverines head coach. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows also believes Harbaugh would be a fit in Seattle.
“In his new role with the Seahawks, Pete Carroll should recommend hiring … Jim Harbaugh,” Barrows noted with a January 10 X message.
Seahawks Rumors: Would Seattle Be Willing to Pay Jim Harbaugh $15 Million Annually?
From The Insiders: A new #Seahawks coach inherits a very strong roster with a few question marks.
If the Seahawks do get involved in the Harbaugh sweepstakes, it will come with a high price tag. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Harbaugh is considering a 10-year, $125 million contract offer to remain at Michigan. Part of the deal would prohibit Harbaugh from talking with NFL teams in 2024.
“Sources say Harbaugh, whose current deal runs through 2026, received an offer from Michigan for a 10-year, $125 million contract extension that would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football,” Rapoport noted in a December 24 article titled “Jim Harbaugh weighing contract offer from Michigan that includes no-NFL clause for 2024.” “Yet there is a caveat, and it’s NFL-related.
“If he signed the deal — which he has not yet done — Harbaugh would agree not to entertain or accept an NFL job for the 2024 season. The NFL clause would be one season only, but that’s apparently been enough to drag out the process. Michigan has also offered Harbaugh a far shorter deal worth about $11 million per year, sources say.”
NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported during a January 9 Bleacher Report live session that Harbaugh’s market value in the NFL is believed to be around $15 million annually. During his farewell press conference, Carroll revealed that he will not be involved in hiring his successor in Seattle.
Seahawks Rumors: Cowboys DC Dan Quinn Is the Early Favorite to Be Seattle’s Next Coach
Pete Carroll sounds like someone still interested in coaching….
The early buzz has Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as the favorite to be the Seahawks next head coach. Quinn and Seattle have mutual familiarity given his time as a Seahawks assistant under Carroll.
The veteran coach was the Seahawks defensive coordinator during the team’s back-to-back Super Bowl runs during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Quinn also brings with him head coaching experience during his six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.
“Dan Quinn expected to be among the leading candidates to return to the Seahawks, this time as head coach,” NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo remarked in a January 10 message on X.