Seattle Seahawks Name Kris Richard Defensive Coordinator
So you want to be the coach of an NFL team. There are plenty of good ways to set yourself up for such a gig, but the best way as of late has been to coach the Seattle Seahawks’ defense. Prove yourself with the league’s best blockers and the reward will likely be a head coaching job.
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Gus Bradley went from Seahawks’ defensive coordinator to Jacksonville Jaguars head coach. Dan Quinn helped the Seahawks reach two consecutive Super Bowls, and is now starting a new chapter as coach of the Atlanta Falcons. And now Kris Richard has stepped up to the plate, officially taking the job as the Seahawks’ new defensive coordinator.
Richard is probably the best available option for the Seahawks, and for reasons that are directly related to out high level of familiarity with him. This is due, of course, to his previous job: defensive backs coach for the ‘Hawks. For the last three years Richard has worked hard turning Seattle’s secondary into the Legion of Boom. No doubt about it, this is a promotion well earned.
The Seahawks of Pete Carroll and John Schneider have gained fame and notoriety for turning just about everyone they get their hands on into a star. The ‘Hawks and their coaches are experts at maximizing their players’ potential, and that’s as obvious in the secondary as anywhere. Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Jeremy Lane, Byron Maxwell, and Brandon Browner are just a handful of the guys who’ve had their development overseen by Richard.
As the defensive backs coach, Richard proved himself and then some. It could even be argued that the Seahawks are lucky to have retained him, seeing as they were surely not the only team to covet him as a defensive coordinator. It wouldn’t have been a surprise to see Richard snatched up by some other franchise last year. If Quinn had somehow stayed on as Seattle’s defensive coordinator, Richard would have been a likely candidate to find an external promotion.
His first order of business? Replacing Ken Norton Jr., who just left his position as the Seahawks’ linebackers coach to become the defensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. This is what happens when your team is successful: everyone gets new, better jobs in cities where they’re needed.
More Richard fun facts: he played for Pete Carroll at USC, where he impressed enough as a defensive back to be drafted in the third round by the Seattle Seahawks in 2002. He played three seasons for Seattle and one for the San Francisco 49ers before ending his playing career.
The Seahawks have a defensive coordinator, and it’s Kris Richard. He’s got deep ties to the area and a pretty ridiculous recent track record of success. This is an ideal hire. Great job, everybody. The 2015 defense is in good hands.