After an extensive three-week search for a new head football coach, the Seattle Seahawks have hired Mike Macdonald to take the reins of one of Seattle’s most popular teams.

To fix a young and broken defense, the Seahawks went to the best in the business. Macdonald, who worked previously as the Baltimore Raven’s defensive coordinator, not only annihilated the Seahawks in a 37-3 win, but the Baltimore defense made history this season. No other defense in NFL history has finished first in each of points allowed, sacks and takeaways in the same season. Despite losing the AFC Championship game to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Ravens held the Chiefs scoreless in the second half.

One interesting note: the Seahawks are going from the oldest coach in the league (Pete Carroll, 72) to the youngest coach (Mike Macdonald, 36).

Macdonald has never held a head coaching position at any level but has worked alongside some of the best to ever do it. He was a defensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan and spent the last two seasons in Baltimore under John Harbaugh.

Many have seen similarities between the Seahawks organization and the Ravens organization. From the front office to the coaching staff, both franchises have solid people in different departments; both teams also demand a positive winning culture on and off the field.

When talking with the media last Thursday afternoon, Macdonald made it clear that he plans to be relentless when coaching his new team. Macdonald says he will bring a culture of “chasing edges”. He promises an aggressive brand of football for his new young defense; a defense that faced endless criticism for its inability to tackle and spent much of the season seemingly lost and uninspired.

So now that Seattle has its new head coach, the first task will be to find a new offensive and defensive coordinator.  As for the players, Macdonald will have to bolster the roster.

Offensively, Macdonald will need to make decisions at who will be his quarterback. He has stated that he will initially call plays on offense and let his staff take over in time. On the defensive side of the ball, he’ll have to figure out what to do with linebacker Bobby Wagner and the notorious legion of doom and gloom.

With a young, talented roster, the Seahawks seem poised to get back to their winning ways with a young and talented coach who’s eager to get to work.