Seahawks request Interview with Grant Udinski

[toffee]

It would be hilarious if all the hype was just propaganda to try to get us to hire dead weight from their staff. The vikings v hawks cold war has been going on since Hutch-gate.

Udi could be the ultimate poison pill, lol.

That is the risk with hiring an unknown, but I will take it, and make that a calculated risk. Why? There is no such thing as a risk-free hire, if McVay is willing to quit his Ram's HC to join us as OC, there's the risk that Macdonald couldn't handle a superstar on his staff, etc

 

[CouchLogic]

I don't think I care about the next OCs college GPA [lol].

 

[toffee]

I don't think I care about the next OCs college GPA [lol].

High GPA is often the result of drive and determination, elements super helpful if not essential in success.

 

[Sperrydogg]

It would be hilarious if all the hype was just propaganda to try to get us to hire dead weight from their staff. The vikings v hawks cold war has been going on since Hutch-gate.

Udi could be the ultimate poison pill, lol.

Hutch-gate….

 

[OneLofaTatupu]

High GPA is often the result of drive and determination, elements super helpful if not essential in success.

Most geniuses are lazy

 

[Germanhawk7]

Do we have mods?
Why do we have so much threads about the same topic?
All Oc candidates with second interview
Kubiak second interview…
Udinski maybe the right one
Udinski Interview

 

[themunn]

His offenses (ignoring his first season with Arizona as OC... looks like that was a split OC spot with another guy) have performed well, except in 2022 when Tampa kind of fell off.

He's SUPER pass heavy though. He was OC when Jameis Winson had that 30 INT season. I mean, we all know Winston can be a bit reckless with the ball... but that was 12 higher than his next highest INT season. His last season had 45-year-old Tom Brady leading the league in pass attempts.

Not sure that matches the direction Seahawks/Macdonald wants to go.

I like Leftwich. When you have Tom Brady though you have to use him, in both 2020 and 2021 he threw 40+ TDs (only 2021 was a 17 game season but he threw 40 in the first 16 games, 43 total). The only other time he crossed that mark in his 23 seasons was the 18-1 season with Moss. And 2019 was probably Winston's best season as a QB despite the ints.

In the 2020 season he had a near 1000 yard rusher in Ronald Jones (978 yards) and Fournette as the 1-2 punch with near 100 carries of his own, so it wasn't completely neglected - actually combined for more carries in that 16 game season than our 2 backs had this year. Their roles switched in 2021 with Fournette having the bulk of carries and Jones as the #2. 2022 had Brady retire and unretire, Arians retire and Jones left in FA as well so it's not a complete surprise they didn't have their best year. But they did win the division (with an 8-9 record! Actually, just looking, the Bucs have gone 8-9, 9-8, and 10-7 in the last 3 years and we've gone 9-8 9-8 10-7... but they have 3 division titles ), and Brady at age 45 still had an OK season with 25 TDs and 9 INTs.

I agree it would be questionable if he was still going too pass heavy, but you make use of the tools you have and he had the finest QB tool available so yeah you make use of him.

 

[Floridahawk79]

Do we have mods?
Why do we have so much threads about the same topic?
All Oc candidates with second interview
Kubiak second interview…
Udinski maybe the right one
Udinski Interview

You forgot...now get off my lawn!!!!

 

[Subzero717]

I always thought Grubb was a Schneider hire, I even started a thread sometime ago to discuss the Schneider influence in hiring Grubb:

Was Grubb a Schneider or a Macdonald hire?

Not sure if I remember the timings right, but weren't we the last team to hire a head coach last off season? then we waiting quite awhile to name that OC? Please correct me if wrong. I am wondering if Grubb was a Schneider hire or a Macdonald hire. It really ought to be Macdonald's decision...

www.seahawks.net

DC hired Quinn after MM.

I agree that it was a JS hire. There's zero line between MM and Grubb. He also was extremely hands off of the offensive side when he was hired.

 

[Floridahawk79]

I'm luke warm on this guy. Just doesn't move the needle. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[toffee]

We are likely to hire candidate "but", and I am ok with it, just keep remind myself to control my expectations. A short story of candidate "but".

Kubiak, aka candidate "but", may be a safe pick as he checked all the boxes, however, one can put a "BUT" next to all the boxes.

Minnesota Vikings
In 2013, Kubiak was hired by the Minnesota Vikings as an offensive quality control and assistant wide receivers coach under offensive coordinators Bill Musgrave (2013) and Norv Turner (2014).

BUT, no NFL team offered jobs to him post-Vikings, so he downgraded to:

Kansas
In 2015, Kubiak accepted a position at the University of Kansas to coach the wide receivers

BUT, Daddy dear came to rescue:

Denver Broncos
On February 22, 2016, Kubiak was hired by the Denver Broncos as an offensive assistant while his father, Gary Kubiak, was the head coach of the team. During the 2017 season, Kubiak assumed responsibilities as the primary quarterbacks coach for the final six weeks of the regular season after Bill Musgrave was promoted to offensive coordinator.

BUT, after 3 years as QB coach, no OC offers, so

Minnesota Vikings (second stint)
On January 14, 2019, Kubiak was hired by the Minnesota Vikings as their quarterbacks coach under offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski and head coach Mike Zimmer.[8]

BUT, Daddy helped again:

On February 8, 2021, Kubiak was promoted to offensive coordinator, replacing his father, Gary Kubiak, following his retirement

BUT, after OC for Vikings, he wasn't kept by Viking, so he was downgraded to:

On February 2, 2022, Kubiak was re-hired by the Denver Broncos as their passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach under offensive coordinator Justin Outten and head coach Nathaniel Hackett.[10] Following offensive struggles to start the 2022 season, Hackett relinquished play calling duties to Kubiak on November 20

BUT, he didn't save Russell Wilson as Broncos moved on to Payton and he downgraded again:

San Francisco 49ers
On March 23, 2023, Kubiak was hired by the San Francisco 49ers as their passing game coordinator.

Finally, OC offer from:

New Orleans Saints
On February 14, 2024, the New Orleans Saints hired Kubiak to be their new offensive coordinator for the 2024 season, replacing the Saints' longtime offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr.

Now, he is looking again!

Klint ain't considered by team executives as a boy wonder like McVay or Mike Shanahan. He floated around in the league for a long time and with plenty of help from family connections, he finally made it to OC. A long and winding road.

 

[toffee]

I'm luke warm on this guy. Just doesn't move the needle. Maybe I'm wrong.

Please join me in my chapel, on our knees, and pray that we shall be wrong. Amen.

 

[DarkVictory23]

I like Leftwich. When you have Tom Brady though you have to use him, in both 2020 and 2021 he threw 40+ TDs (only 2021 was a 17 game season but he threw 40 in the first 16 games, 43 total). The only other time he crossed that mark in his 23 seasons was the 18-1 season with Moss. And 2019 was probably Winston's best season as a QB despite the ints.

In the 2020 season he had a near 1000 yard rusher in Ronald Jones (978 yards) and Fournette as the 1-2 punch with near 100 carries of his own, so it wasn't completely neglected - actually combined for more carries in that 16 game season than our 2 backs had this year. Their roles switched in 2021 with Fournette having the bulk of carries and Jones as the #2. 2022 had Brady retire and unretire, Arians retire and Jones left in FA as well so it's not a complete surprise they didn't have their best year. But they did win the division (with an 8-9 record! Actually, just looking, the Bucs have gone 8-9, 9-8, and 10-7 in the last 3 years and we've gone 9-8 9-8 10-7... but they have 3 division titles ), and Brady at age 45 still had an OK season with 25 TDs and 9 INTs.

I agree it would be questionable if he was still going too pass heavy, but you make use of the tools you have and he had the finest QB tool available so yeah you make use of him.

Yeah, if you've got the GOAT QB, you'll probably lean on that as your offense as Leftwich did (to the tune of a Super Bowl victory).

And I do agree, despite the INTs, that Winston led offense was actually still good--which is not what you'd think you could say about an offense that threw 30 INTs.

The problem with Grubb wasn't that we were a pass first offense. We did that for two straight seasons before he got here, and our offense was good. The problem is how you marry that situationally to game situation and what your defense needs that was one of the (but not the only) big criticisms of Grubb. Without sitting down to look at Leftwich's play calling in those kinds of specific situations, I don't know how he handles those situations so I kind of took the shortcut to go 'Well, he passes a crap ton and that's a problem'.

I do expect Leftwich's concepts to be much more NFL caliber and he understands how to make the quick passing game work as evidenced by what he did with Brady, so this would be an improvement. TB only had a mediocre line in 2020 (got worse in 2021 and 22), so he's had experience working with not great O-Lines. His play action rate is super suspect though and that's another red flag for me.


But to be completely honest... overall, Ryan Grubb was a failed experiment (one I thoroughly hoped would succeed). Essentially, any NFL level coordinator is probably going to be a step up, regardless of their run-to-pass ratio, play action rate, or anything like that.

 

[uncle fester]

Anyone seen Schneider in a local bar with his new hire (whichever one that is) yet? Surely its about that time…

 

[Fresno Hawk]

I wouldn't be opposed to Leftwitch. He has alot of play calling experience and knows what it takes to win. He would be a good hire in my opinion.

 

[James in PA]

I wouldn't be opposed to Leftwitch. He has alot of play calling experience and knows what it takes to win. He would be a good hire in my opinion.

He's known for being pass heavy. That's why I'm a little surprised he's under consideration.

 

[Chukarhawk]

He's known for being pass heavy. That's why I'm a little surprised he's under consideration.

they are anticipating drafting a QB and Leftwich would be perfect for bringing up a new QB. Thats the appeal.

 

[Fresno Hawk]

He's known for being pass heavy. That's why I'm a little surprised he's under consideration.

His last year he was pass heavy but for the most part he has always ran the ball effectively. Out of all the candidates he is the most qualified.

 

[DarkVictory23]

His last year he was pass heavy but for the most part he has always ran the ball effectively. Out of all the candidates he is the most qualified.

With Tampa Bay, he was 7th, 3rd, 1st, and 1st in pass rate.

That's not to say he didn't run the ball effectively in some of those seasons (I think this is a decidedly mixed record, though), but he was clearly pass heavy the whole time.

 

[Fresno Hawk]

With Tampa Bay, he was 7th, 3rd, 1st, and 1st in pass rate.

That's not to say he didn't run the ball effectively in some of those seasons (I think this is a decidedly mixed record, though), but he was clearly pass heavy the whole time.

I dont blame him he did have Tom Brady for 2 or three years, i think i can't remember. I would be calling for Tom to throw aswell. Those teams also had some weak running backs other than Fournett. But I don't disagree.