VetFamily: Mike Macdonald
Next week the Seattle Seahawks go up against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, and Seahawk’s Head Coach Mike Macdonald’s military upbringing might help lead him to victory. At 38-years old, he’s one of the youngest coaches to reach the Super Bowl and he’s aiming to become the third-youngest to win. Born in Boston, his competitor’s territory, he hails from a military family. His father, Hugh, graduated from West Point and served in the U.S. Army from 1971 to 1977, while his grandfather served in World War II and his aunts served in Vietnam as nurses.
“I actually grew up on West Point stories as a kid going to bed at night. I definitely have a lot of respect for all the cadets out there and what they’re going through and putting themselves through to prepare themselves to lead our troops. You need to defend the things that are important to you in order to maintain the freedom that we cherish everyday,” he recently told reporters.
His dad played for Army’s lightweight football team while earning a bachelor’s of science degree in applied science. Upon graduation in 1971, he was an engineer officer and later stationed in Germany.
Macdonald is a first-time head coach and took over the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, succeeding Pete Carroll. He previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens from 2022 to 2023. He attended the University of Georgia, where he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 2010. He played linebacker and fullback in high school before tearing his ACL, which led him to coaching.
“I’m learning [Macdonald] has a very, like, almost military mindset. There’s this joke that we always say ‘Hoo-ah’ when he says something. That’s an Army thing. But I think he does a great job of holding guys accountable. And I think that’s what’s really needed right now,” defensive lineman Leonard Williams told reporters in 2024.
Macdonald was the 2024 nominee for the NFL’s annual “Salute to Service” award. Salute to Service is an ongoing commitment from the NFL to Honor, Empower, and Connect our nation's service members, Veterans, and their families. Since 2011, it has raised over $75 million through partnerships with leading veterans organizations.
“I think it’s awesome what the NFL does, that we can bring awareness to our service men and women. Sometimes we take it for granted and it’s a great opportunity to show our respect for those people,” he said. “People have come to our facility and taught us, myself and our team, a lot of things, and helped us come together to be a tighter team.” In 2024 he brought his full Seahawks team to Joint Base Lewis-Mchord, an Army base southwest of Tacoma. It was the first time that the entire team made the trip to a military base instead of only smaller groups.
"There are a lot of similarities between football and the military, and this is a really easy event that we can put on to showcase that and build the relationship," linebacker Jon Rhattigan said after the visit. He played college football at Army and was Seattle's Salute to Service nominee in 2023.
The Seahawks have been to the Super Bowl three times: winning against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII (2014), but losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006 and the New England Patriots in 2015.
Macdonald will coach the Seattle Seahawks facing the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 6:30pm, streaming on NBC. This will be Macdonald’s first Super Bowl.
More on the “Military Community” recognition from the Seattle Seahawks here.
