In the process of building his first coaching staff, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald has yet to name an offensive coordinator, but a few names have surfaced as potential options over the past week.
Among those in consideration for play calling duties on offense, Seattle has been linked to former Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who recently accepted the same position at Alabama. The team also reportedly requested an interview with Detroit passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand, a Jim Harbaugh disciple who has had a hand in the Lions roaring offensive success the past two years.
In his introductory press conference last Thursday, Macdonald didn’t tip his hand much in regard to what he will be looking for from an offensive coordinator, but he did indicate NFL experience would not be “near the top of the list” of priorities during the search process.
“We’re looking for the right person to come in here and build this thing,” Macdonald told reporters. “So we want somebody that’s open-minded, that has a growth mindset, that can connect with their players, and build a system that’s unique to the Seattle Seahawks that’s going to live here for a long time and who’s going to be the one spearheading it.”
Comparing experience, scheme, track record, and versatility for Grubb and Engstrand, who would be the better fit as a prospective first-time offensive coordinator for the Seahawks on Macdonald’s staff?
Experience
Neither Grubb nor Engstrand has been an offensive coordinator in the NFL, but they each have had varying success as play callers at lower levels. Progressing from Sioux Falls to Fresno State to Washington, Grubb has been at the controls for several high-powered offenses from the NAIA level all the way to the now-defunct Pac-12 in the Power Five realm, including the Huskies top-five ranked scoring attack in 2022. Overall, he has nine years worth of offensive coordinator experience with the majority of that experience coming at the Division I level.
As for Engstrand, his first opportunity as a coordinator happened at FCS level San Diego in 2011 and he held that position along with an assistant head coach title through the 2017 season. He later served as a coordinator for the DC Defenders in the XFL in 2020, but only coached five games with the season being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, he has been involved in game planning as a pass game coordinator for the Lions under Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson.
Winner: Even though he hasn’t been an offensive coordinator in the league yet, Engstrand’s four years of NFL experience gives him a major feather in the cap compared to Grubb, who has only coached at the college level.
Scheme
Orchestrating one of the highest-scoring offenses in college football at Fresno State and Washington, Grubb has built high-octane “Air Raid” attacks slinging the pigskin all over the field with a heavy emphasis on shotgun formations. This best fit his personnel, including quarterbacks Jake Haener and Michael Penix, allowing for them to thrive in pass-heavy systems that created ideal spacing for wideouts downfield. While none of his offenses have ranked better than 60th in rushing yards per game, Dillon Johnson rushed for over 1,100 yards and 5.1 yards per carry last season and he has a run game coordinator background, so his scheme has been adaptable.
A disciple of current Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, who coached at San Diego before eventually taking a job at Stanford and jumping to the NFL with San Francisco, Engstrand deploys a more pro style-oriented West coast offense featuring a bevy of personnel groupings, including an emphasis on two-back and multi-tight end formations. This made him an ideal fit to join Detroit’s staff with Campbell and Johnson, who has constructed one of the NFL’s most balanced offensive attacks with an under center-centric scheme featuring a physical run game and dynamic play action passing attack.
Winner: This one has a bit of uncertainty, as Grubb could very well run a different scheme in the NFL than the one that has fueled his ascent at the college level. But without knowing what his offense would look like in the pros, Engstrand gets the nod with his roots learning under Harbaugh and having limited experience calling plays in a pro league.
Track Record
At the college level, few coaches have enjoyed the consistent success Grubb has calling plays for multiple schools. Starting his journey at Sioux Falls, the Cougars finished third in the nation in scoring offense in his first year as offensive coordinator. After a three-year stint at Eastern Michigan, he eventually took over as coordinator at Fresno State in 2019, engineering one of college football’s most potent passing arsenals. Along with finishing fifth in the country in passing yards per game in 2020, the Bulldogs ranked second in passing offense, 14th in total offense, and 26th in scoring in the nation in 2021. In the past two seasons, Washington finished first and second in passing yards while finishing in the top 12 in the country in scoring.
Like Grubb, Engstrand earned his first offensive coordinator opportunity at a lower level program with San Diego. The Toreros won three Pioneer League titles with him as the play caller and in 2014, they finished in the top-10 in the nation in passing yards, scoring offense, third down efficiency, and several other categories. His partial season in the XFL didn’t go near as well, however, as the Defenders scored just 82 points in five games and quarterback Cardale Jones threw seven interceptions compared to only four touchdowns.
Winner: Boasting a strong resume with multiple top-25 scoring offenses at the FBS level, Grubb wins this one by a landslide over Engstrand, who stumbled in his lone experience calling plays beyond FCS competition.
Versatility
Mastering numerous trades in the football coaching field, Grubb initially started out as a running backs and receivers coach at South Dakota State before becoming the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Sioux Falls in 2007. He later returned to his offensive line roots at Eastern Michigan from 2014 to 2016, and in his final season with the program, they finished eighth in fewest sacks allowed and rushed for the seventh-most yards in school history. As offensive line coach at Fresno State, the Bulldogs finished sixth in the entire country in sacks allowed per game in 2018, leading to a promotion to offensive coordinator the following season. Capping off his resume, he transformed Penix into a Heisman finalist as quarterbacks coach at Washington, showcasing his coaching chops.
Like Grubb, Engstrand has worn many hats as a positional coach, starting out as a running backs coach at San Diego before transitioning to quarterback coach and eventually offensive coordinator. During his stint as running back coach, he mentored record setting running back JT Rogan to a First-Team All-Pioneer League selection in 2007. Fast forwarding to his current NFL gig in Detroit, he took over as tight ends coach in 2022 and the positional group produced 12 combined touchdowns, a franchise record. The Lions also had three tight ends produce multi-touchdown games, which had never happened in the NFL previously.
Winner: By his own accord, Engstrand has demonstrated great flexibility coaching quarterbacks, running backs, and tight ends at multiple levels. But Grubb’s excellence as an offensive line coach everywhere he has been and his recent job coaching up Penix make his resume a more impressive one.
Final Verdict
Even with neither having prior NFL play calling experience, Grubb and Engstrand both offer intrigue as offensive coordinator candidates for different reasons. Grubb’s success coaching pass protection and ability to develop quarterbacks would be appealing for any modern NFL offense, while Engstrand’s time working for Harbaugh and Campbell/Johnson should have him well-prepared to make the jump to coordinator.
Interestingly, Grubb and Engstrand have enough similarities that trying to decide between them could be a challenge for Macdonald and everyone else involved in the hiring process. Each coach cut his teeth in the lower levels of college football with top-10 passing offenses, albeit with different schemes to achieve that success, and has taken the long route up the ladder coaching multiple positions to reach the point of consideration for an offensive coordinator job in the league. They also both have strong rapports with their players, checking off a big box for Seattle.
Ultimately, Macdonald and the Seahawks will have to decide whether they prioritize hiring a coach in Engstrand with a built-in scheme similar to the one Johnson calls with the Lions and prior NFL experience or if they want to roll the dice on an unknown like Grubb, who has lit up scoreboards everywhere he has coached to this point and has an appealing offensive line background without any league experience. Both would be significant gambles and at the same time, offer high ceilings as play callers.
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