What's new with the Seahawks isn't limited to their roster.
Coach Pete Carroll also has had to fill some vacancies on this staff, and three more additions were announced Wednesday: Chris Cash and Andre Curtis, as assistant secondary coaches in charge of the cornerbacks and safeties, respectively; and Dwaine Board, as assistant defensive line coach.
The club **already had announced** the hiring of linebackers coach Michael Barrow, assistant offensive line coach Brennan Carroll and assistant linebackers coach Lofa Tatupu, as well as Kris Richard being promoted to defensive coordinator and Rocky Seto **being named** assistant head coach/defense.
All of this has been necessary because of the success the Seahawks continue to have under Carroll.
Richard was promoted after defensive coordinator Dan Quinn left to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and took defensive assistant Marquand Manuel with him, moves that opened the spots for Cash and Curtis. Barrow was hired because linebackers coach Ken Norton, Jr. left to become defensive coordinator with the Oakland Raiders. Brennan Carroll joins his brother, Nate, on the staff because assistant offensive line coach Chris Morgan also went to Atlanta with Quinn.
And Quinn returned two years ago to replace defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who left to become head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Quinn had been the Seahawks' defensive line coach in 2009 and 2010 before leaving to be the defensive coordinator at the University of Florida.
These losses are a measure of the gains the Seahawks have made under Carroll, who is 42-14 the past three seasons, including playoffs, and 57-33 in five seasons since being hired in 2010.
"It comes along with good fortune, when guys get good opportunities like that," Carroll has said of losing assistant coaches to other teams. "I am pretty wide open and flexible in hoping that it works out."
Here's a closer look at the latest additions to Carroll's staff:
Michael Barrow – The 44-year-old Barrow was a linebacker before he began coaching linebackers, and a productive one at that. In 12 NFL seasons, with five teams, he had 1,125 tackles and 43 sacks. Barrow began his career in 1993 as a second-round draft choice of the Houston Oilers and also played for the Carolina Panthers (1997-99), New York Giants (2000-03), Washington Redskins (2004) and Dallas Cowboys (2005).
He got into coaching by returning to his roots. Barrow was assistant head coach/defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Homestead (Fla.) High School, in 2006 and then returned to where he played his college ball in 2007 to be the University of Miami's linebackers coach for eight seasons.
Lofa Tatupu – If the name sounds familiar, it's because you remember his game. After playing for Carroll at the University of Southern California, Tatupu was selected in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Seahawks. The 32-year-old Tatupu is the only player in franchise history to lead the team in tackles for four consecutive seasons (2005-08); was selected to three Pro Bowls, tying him for the most by a linebacker in franchise history; and voted the Seahawks' 35th Anniversary team at middle linebacker.
Dwaine Board – This also is a return engagement for Board, who was the Seahawks' defensive line coach from 2003-08 on Mike Holmgren's staff. Board had coached for the San Francisco 49ers (1990-2002) before joining the Seahawks and coached for the Raiders (2009) and Cleveland Browns (2011-12) after leaving them. Board also played in the league with the 49ers (1979-88) and New Orleans Saints (1988). He has won four Super Bowls, three as a player and another as an assistant coach – all with the 49ers, and is one of 20 people in NFL history to win a Super Bowl as both a player and coach. Board, 58, will assist line coach Travis Jones.
Chris Cash – Cash, 34, also played for Carroll at USC and was an all-conference selection at cornerback as a senior in 2001. A sixth-round draft choice in 2002 by the Detroit Lions, Cash registered 100 tackles as a rookie and also played two seasons for the Falcons (2005-06) before getting into coaching – first as the secondary coach at Riverside C.C., then as defensive coordinator at D.C. Franklin High School in Stockton, Calif., his alma mater; and then as the safeties coach at Florida A&M in 2013.
Andre Curtis – This is Curtis' fourth NFL stop, as he was a defensive quality control coach for the New York Giants from 2006-08, defensive back/safeties coach for the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11 and assistant secondary coach for the Saints from 2012-14. Prior to that, Curtis, 38, coached defensive ends at Georgia Southern (2004-05) and linebackers at his alma mater, Virginia Military Institute, from 2000-03.
Brennan Carroll – He also worked on his father's staff at USC from 2002-09 and later was tight ends and wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Miami (2011-14). During his college career, Carroll, 36, played tight end at Delaware (1997) and Pittsburgh (1999-2001).
