Why is Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald not getting national respect?

What do we do when there’s no NFL?

Mock Draft Head Coaches of course!! Hey you’re the one that clicked on this to begin with.

Gregg Rosenthal and JP Acosta got together on Monday and drafted (ranked) their favorite head coaches heading into this year.

Rookie head coaches were excluded, meaning 27 names were up for debate, not 32. Out of 27, Mike Macdonald, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks came in….19th.

Better than just eight NFL coaches.

JP Acosta of SB Nation will receive credit as the one who ultimately selected Mike Macdonald at all. Rosenthal reacted like he wasn’t even ready for that yet.

But then two things happened, and the entire conversation is broadcast here. Acosta said “this might be a bit of a reach,” followed by how he is a “huge believer in Mike Macdonald’s defense” (emphasis in the tone of quote). I am genuinely floored not only that Macdonald was a consensus 9th-worst coach (at best) between these two, but that 19 could feasibly be considered a reach.

They’re not alone either, NBC Sports put Macdonald at the same spot, and an entity known as Roto Baller put him at 23rd.

I have a question, and though some are asking “why do this at all?” that’s not my question. Mine is what exactly Macdonald would need to do to affect the national perspective of his ability as a head coach?

Everyone will speak about his defensive mind, but it’s as if the conversation is still grounded in him as a defensive coordinator. His role as head of the team seems nearly forgotten.

Even though he transformed a team that once let 31-year-old Cordarelle Patterson run for a career high 141 yards on 8.3 yards per carry into a top-10 defense by the end of the season by an entire scheme overhaul, jettisoning both linebackers halfway through the season and turning a fourth-round corner into an above average starting safety, Macdonald is considered among the weakest third of coaches in the NFL.

That opinion is coming from somewhere, right?

I’ve landed on a few conclusions:

1) No love for the rookies

Eight new coaches joined the NFL last year. Three of them are ranked 27th, 26th, and 23rd in the original article. Two of them are already out of a job. Macdonald is 19th, and the two above him are the two who’ve been head coaches before, whose teams both made the playoffs. One could argue that NFC runner-up Dan Quinn is a bigger snub on this list than Macdonald even.

2) Offense matters…

This is a tired argument but still holds sway. There are some unspoken “style points” for offensive-minded head coaches. Just look at the left column.

3) …and is often weighted badly

Genuinely, I think Macdonald is being penalized for the Seahawks not doing “more” or something with the likes of DK Metcalf and Geno Smith still being on the team. That he was the last hire of the cycle, or that Ryan Grubb was so obviously inept he was fired the day after the season ended will not sway opinions here. With this influence on the league, I would worry that the Seahawks could end up with a top-5 defense and Macdonald still not gain much recognition if the offense struggles as badly as it did last season.

4) An uncertainty about the offseason and how it reflects on his leadership

So now everybody’s a Geno Smith fan all of a sudden? The conversation I’ve watched from media all spring has expressed dubiousness over Sam Darnold’s potential. Additionally, subtle questions and jabs as to why Seattle just “couldn’t get it done” with either Metcalf or Smith – or Tyler Lockett, for that matter. As if there is some flaw in the organization or in Macdonald’s leadership, prompting these guys to want out.

This is a bad insinuation, even though I’ll admit to extreme annoyance with the Tyler Lockett situation.

But to assume benefit of the doubt, for those watching from the outside: Macdonald took over from a Hall of Fame legend, had a nearly identical record, lost the three biggest names on offense, and because he’s highly cerebral and calling defensive plays on the sideline, he really doesn’t have an iconic “leadership” moment that stands out from last season. Some of these guys have the cool mic’d up moments on the sideline saying funny stuff to their players, or the captured interactions between coach and QB.

I think Macdonald is better than 19th. You probably do too. But the more I thought about it, Macdonald’s style is not…well, style. He’s Macdonald, not McDaniel. But even take a second and enjoy how the personality fits the coaching style. I’d far rather have the guy that’s a little bit of a slow burn but absolutely unequivocally does not fade under pressure, does not tire of the grind. You want the guy that wears fun socks and gets his team to score 50 points against bad teams and shrivel up like a wet straw at the end of every season?

Macdonald will be recognized before long.