Seahawks add veteran coach to mentor league’s youngest head coach

Shortly after making former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald the youngest head coach in the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks decided to bring in an experienced coach to serve as a mentor and helping hand in times of need.

Per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the Seahawks have hired Leslie Frazier as their assistant head coach. According to Pelissero, “Frazier has long been a mentor to Macdonald.” 

Frazier and Macdonald briefly overlapped in 2016 with the Ravens, when the former operated as the secondary coach while the latter was a defensive assistant for Baltimore. Now, the duo will join forces in Seattle and work alongside one another.

Leslie Frazier will serve as a mentor to Mike Macdonald with the Seahawks

Frazier is a respected defensive mind across the NFL with over 20 years of coaching experience dating back to his days as the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003, including a three-plus year stint as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010-13. Frazier had a 21-32-1 record as a head coach, including a playoff appearance in 2012.

His most recent stop was in Buffalo, serving as the Bills defensive coordinator from 2017-22, earning an additional title of assistant head coach from 2020-22 before he stepped away from the team in 2023.

Frazier had been garnering interest from other teams around the league before landing in Seattle – the Miami Dolphins interviewed him for their defensive coordinator vacancy, and the Los Angeles Chargers met with him to discuss their head coaching position before ultimately landing on Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh.

During Frazier’s final two campaigns in Buffalo, the Bills ranked first in point differential in both seasons. In 2021, the Bills defensive unit allowed the fewest yards (289.2) and points per game to opposing teams (18.3) under the tutelage of Frazier.

After giving Macdonald a six-year contract to be their next head coach and fill the void left by legendary coach Pete Carroll, the Seahawks brought in Frazier to bring stability and experience to his coaching staff.

Seattle is doing everything in their power to put Macdonald in a position to succeed in his newfound role.