Michael Macdonald (born June 26, 1987) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens from 2022 to 2023.

Macdonald attended the University of Georgia, where he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 2010. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Baltimore Ravens and at the University of Michigan.

Macdonald was born on June 26, 1987, in Boston, Massachusetts.^[1] He attended Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia. He played baseball and football at Centennial but saw limited action as a senior due to injuries.^[1][2]

He next attended the University of Georgia where he studied finance at the Terry College of Business and graduated summa cum laude in 2010.^[1] He 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.^[3]

In May 2010, he joined Mark Richt's coaching staff as a graduate assistant with the Georgia Bulldogs football program.^[1][4] He also served as a safeties and defensive quality control coach at Georgia from 2011 to 2013.^[5] In 2013, while coaching at Georgia, he earned a master's degree in sport management.^[1]

Macdonald served on John Harbaugh's coaching staff with the Baltimore Ravens for seven seasons from 2014 to 2020.^[6] He was hired as an intern in 2014 and was promoted to defensive assistant in January 2015,^[7] defensive backs coach in January 2017,^[8] and linebackers coach in January 2018.^[9]

In January 2021, Macdonald joined Jim Harbaugh's staff at Michigan, as the defensive coordinator of the Michigan Wolverines football program.^[10] In Macdonald's only season at the University of Michigan, the Wolverines posted a top 10 national defense, won the Big Ten Conference Championship, and played in the College Football Playoff.^[11] The team finished with a national ranking of #3.

On January 27, 2022, Macdonald was re-hired by the Baltimore Ravens as their defensive coordinator under head coach John Harbaugh, replacing Don Martindale.^[12] In 2022, Macdonald led the Ravens' defense to only allowing 315 points in 17 games.^[13] Averaging just under 19 points per game, the Ravens' defense was ranked the fourth best defense in the league.^[14] In 2023, the Ravens' defensive unit improved under Macdonald as they only allowed 280 points in total on the season. The Ravens would advance to the AFC Championship this season and despite losing to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens would hold the Chiefs to just 17 points, marking the team's sixth consecutive game where they held an opponent to 20 points or less.^[15]

On January 31, 2024, Mike Macdonald was hired by the Seattle Seahawks as their head coach to replace Pete Carroll.^[16] He beat out Ejiro Evero, Patrick Graham, Ben Johnson, Mike Kafka, Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Bobby Slowik, and Frank Smith for the job.^[17] At the time of his hiring, Mike Macdonald was the youngest head coach in the NFL.^[18]

Macdonald began his inaugural season with Seattle by leading the team to three straight victories for the first time since 2020.^[19] 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 4–5, falling to last place in the NFC West.^[20] The team improved to 5–5 in Week 11 when Macdonald's Seahawks defeated the reigning NFC champions and division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, 20–17.^[21]

Macdonald and his wife Stephanie have been married since 2021.^[22]

On December 3, 2024, Macdonald and his wife, Stephanie, became first-time parents with the arrival of their son, Jack.^[23]

• Seattle Seahawks bio