Jay Harbaugh has been the Seahawks’ special teams coordinator since February 2024. He is Jim Harbaugh’s son and John Harbaugh’s nephew, and on October 4 his units face his father’s Chargers at Lumen Field, the first regular-season meeting between them. In 2025, his second season, Seattle’s special teams scored three return touchdowns, Jason Myers led the NFL in scoring, Michael Dickson was named All-Pro, and ESPN’s special teams analytics had the unit first in the league from Week 10 into late December.
Timeline with Seattle
- Feb 2024: Hired to replace Larry Izzo. He chose Seattle over following his father to the Chargers, who had hired Jim a few weeks earlier. He had worked with Mike Macdonald twice before, on the 2014 Ravens staff and at Michigan in 2021.
- Aug 10, 2024: Father and son met for the first time as NFL coaches, in the preseason. Jay, that week: “Working with my dad at Michigan was probably the best nine years of my life.”
- 2024 season: Myers made 26 of 30 field goals, including a franchise-record nine from 50 yards or more, and Dickson averaged 49.4 yards a punt.
- 2025 season: Three return touchdowns, and a Pro Bowl for Rashid Shaheed. Myers made 41 field goals and led the league with 171 points. Seattle was first in opponents’ average starting field position and third in its own, and second in special teams DVOA. Macdonald in December: “Our special teams unit has just been a massive catalyst for us.”
- Feb 8, 2026: Super Bowl LX. Myers kicked five field goals, a Super Bowl record, in the 29-13 win.
- Sept 20, 2026: The strangest play of the young season. Shaheed fumbled the second-half kickoff at Arizona, and Chazz Surratt picked the ball up and ran it to the Arizona 37. Seattle scored a touchdown on the fourth play of the drive to break a 7-7 tie.
How he got here
| Years | Where | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2008–2011 | Oregon State | Undergraduate assistant |
| 2011 | San Francisco 49ers | Scouting intern |
| 2012–2014 | Baltimore Ravens | Staff, including the Super Bowl XLVII season; offensive quality control in 2014 |
| 2015–2023 | Michigan | Special teams coach, then coordinator; also coached tight ends, running backs and safeties; 2023 national champions |
| 2024– | Seattle Seahawks | Special teams coordinator |
The Ravens years were under his uncle John, and the Michigan years under his father, including the 2023 national title. Macdonald was Michigan’s defensive coordinator in 2021, the season the Wolverines beat Ohio State and reached the College Football Playoff.
What his units do
The kickoff rules changed the year he arrived, and in June 2024 he described his approach to them: “It’s organized trial and error.” By 2025 Seattle was the best team in the league at the hidden yardage, meaning where the opponent’s drives start. The specialists are the stars: Myers, Dickson and long snapper Chris Stoll, with Shaheed returning. Macdonald, the week of the Super Bowl: “Jay is one of the best football coaches I’ve ever been around.”
The Chargers game
Seattle hosts Los Angeles on Sunday, October 4, at 1:25 p.m. on CBS. The Chargers are 0-3 after a 24-16 loss at Buffalo, and Jim Harbaugh is in his third season there. The Chargers game guide has the kickoff, the gates, the Sounder game trains and the line. The full staff is on the coaching staff page.