RENTON — The Seattle Seahawks stayed in-house to fill the biggest vacancy on their coaching staff.
The Seahawks promoted Kris Richard on Monday to defensive coordinator, replacing Dan Quinn who took over as head coach in Atlanta.
Richard seemed the likely candidate to replace Quinn and it became even more apparent he was Seattle’s choice after Ken Norton Jr. left the Seahawks defensive staff last week to become the defensive coordinator in Oakland.
Richard has been with the Seahawks since Pete Carroll’s arrival as head coach in 2010, first as an assistant defensive backs coach. Since 2012, Richard has been the head defensive backs coach, helping develop the “Legion of Boom” secondary featuring All-Pros Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman, and safety Kam Chancellor.
Richard, 35, spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Southern Cal on Carroll’s staff before following him to Seattle. Prior to the Super Bowl, Richard said his goal was to one day become a head coach in the NFL. The previous two Seattle defensive coordinators — Quinn and Gus Bradley — have both landed jobs as head coaches.
“Ultimately it would be awesome to be a head coach in this league. Because that’s as far as you can take it,” Richard said on Jan. 21. “There is nothing beyond the NFL, so in theory when you get here, you’re on the downside. There is nowhere else to go. That’s so far away, but ultimately, that’s the ultimate goal. Fortunately I’m able to be here right now.”
The promotion of Richard was just part of the coaching changes the Seahawks announced.
Micheal Barrow was hired as the Seahawks new linebackers coach to replace Norton. Barrow played 13 seasons in the NFL with Houston, Carolina, the New York Giants, Washington and Dallas before retiring after the 2005 season. For the past eight seasons, Barrow was the linebackers coach at the University of Miami.
Also coming from Miami is Carroll’s oldest son, Brennan, after spending four seasons with the Hurricanes. Carroll was Miami’s national recruiting coordinator and most recently wide receivers coach. He will be an assistant offensive line coach in Seattle and join his brother Nate on the Seahawks staff. Nate Carroll was an assistant wide receivers coach this season.
The Seahawks also hired Lofa Tatupu as an assistant linebackers coach. Tatupu spent six seasons with the Seahawks as the starting middle linebacker, including Carroll’s first season in Seattle in 2010. Tatupu also played for Carroll at USC. Tatupu attempted a comeback with Atlanta in 2012 that was cut short by injuries.
