The Seahawks turned to a familiar opponent to find their next offensive coordinator, hiring Shane Waldron, who has spent the past four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, holding the title of passing game coordinator for the past three years.
Joining Waldron in the move from L.A. to Seattle is Andy Dickerson, who will be the Seahawks’ run-game coordinator following nine seasons as the Rams’ assistant offensive line coach.
Waldron, 41, has seven years of NFL coaching experience, also working with Rams coach Sean McVay in Washington for a year before McVay took the Rams job, and working under Bill Belichick in New England from 2008-09 as an offensive quality control coach and later as a tight ends coach.
“We are really excited to bring Shane Waldron to the Seahawks,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “His creative and competitive approach to the game will bring out the best in our players and coaches. Shane also brings great knowledge and insight about our division. His vision for the future, along with the caliber of players on our offense, made him a must get for us.”
Waldron replaces Brian Schottenheimer, whom the Seahawks parted ways with two weeks ago, while Dickerson fills the vacant run game coordinator position that came open with Brennan Carroll taking the offensive coordinator job at the University of Arizona. Waldron and Dickerson were college teammates at Tufts University before getting into coaching. Dickerson, who had been the longest-tenured member of the Rams’ coaching staff, has among other duties helped the Rams offensive line be one of the best pass-protection units in the league. Since McVay took over in 2017, the Rams have been in the top 10 in the NFL for fewest sacks allowed for four-straight years, including in 2019 when they gave up a league-low 22 sacks, and last season when they allowed 25, tied for sixth fewest. The Rams also had a top 10 rushing attack three of the past four years, including last season when they ranked 10th, averaging 126.1 rushing yards per game despite not having a running back rush for more than 625 yards for the season.
“We are fortunate to be able to add Andy Dickerson as our run game coordinator,” Carroll said. “He has worked with Shane for many years and that continuity will be an integral factor in the transition process.
“They, together with our staff, will work to capture the many strengths we have developed over the years and expand the explosive ability that Russell (Wilson) and crew have afforded us.”
Waldron, who has also coached at Notre Dame, the University of Massachusetts and the UFL’s Hartford Colonials, has never been a coordinator at the college or pro level, but he has the endorsement of his former boss.
Asked about Waldron in 2018, McVay said, “He’s a phenomenal coach. He’s a great communicator. He’s got a rare ability to authentically and genuinely connect with not only coaches, but the players and be able to correct in a manner that doesn’t make guys’ guards come up. It’s all about problem solving and doing it together. He’s obviously done a phenomenal job, really mainly as a leader for our offense, not exclusively to just being a pass-game coordinator.”
McVay added that Waldron was “absolutely” ready to be an offensive coordinator. “I would be extremely disappointed, selfishly, if we lost him, but so happy if that’s something that he felt like was next for him and his family. There’s no doubt about it, he’s a great coach and he’s certainly ready if that’s the next step that he decides he wants to take.”
While Waldron and Dickerson are sure to bring their own ideas to Seattle’s offense, there are elements of McVay’s Rams offenses that should appeal to Carroll, who in his end-of-season press conference expressed the desire to “run the ball more effectively” and also more often in 2021. Since McVay took over in L.A. four year ago, the Rams have relied on a relatively balanced offense that features a heavy dose of play-action passes, pre-snap motion, bootlegs and intermediate passes that lead to run-after-catch opportunities for receivers and tight ends.
