When Mike Macdonald walked through the doors of the Virginia Mason Athletic Center he was welcomed with cheers from staff and surrounded by unfamiliar faces in an unfamiliar place. But as he walked through the halls, he was welcomed by a warm embrace from former University of Michigan and current Seahawks defensive end, Mike Morris. Through his coaching journey, Macdonald had a stop at Michigan and coached Morris and the Michigan defense in 2021.

"We're gonna have some fun," Macdonald said as he hugged Morris.

As one could imagine, Morris was excited and at a loss for words when he found out that Macdonald would be the Seahawks' head coach.

"I was so happy," Morris said, "I know the guy we're going to get, and I know everything that he put into Michigan and everything he put into the defense at Michigan and everything that he's going to put in to now."

In 2021, Michigan's defense helped the Wolverines win the Big Ten Championship as well as earn a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

A year later as the Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator, Macdonald's defense helped Baltimore clinch the AFC North and earn them a trip to the AFC Championship game.

"He's going to bring that same fire from Michigan to [the Seahawks]," Morris said.

Describing Macdonald as a "player's coach" Morris said that he has a way of keeping the players in the loop of what's going on. "The buy-in factor of it… just making us feel a part of the game plan," is what Morris says makes Macdonald's defense and coaching style special.

While Macdonald will be the youngest head coach in the NFL, he has qualities to him that Morris says will make him a good head coach.

"How personable he is… attention to detail, how much of a player's coach he is… involving the players in the schemes. I'm very excited to see what we're going to get out of him."

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