The Seahawks season, which came to an end with a whimper, led many to believe that major changes were needed. Only a few days after the loss of the Seattle game card against the Rams, one occurred.
The Seahawks announced Tuesday that the team and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have mutually agreed to part ways, citing philosophical differences.
Brian Schottenheimer is a fantastic man and coach and we thank him for the past three years. With reference to philosophical differences, we have separated ways.
– Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) 13 January 2021
However, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Schottenheimer was fired rather than a mutual farewell.
Seahawks fired OC Brian Schottenheimer. His offense set a number of Seahawks records. But after the meeting last night, it was clear that there were philosophical differences between Schottenheimer and HC Pete Carroll. They decided a farewell was in the best interests of both parties.
– Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) 13 January 2021
Schottenheimer’s three seasons as an offensive coordinator for the Seahawks yielded mixed results, with a heavy 2018 that discourages many before the team slowly leans in the right direction in the pass / run splits. Schottenheimer has also helped Seattle score a top-10 score every three seasons and improve Russell Wilson’s game out of pocket.
In 2020, the team and Wilson made a historic start before falling back quickly. By the end of the season, both quarterbacks and offense broke. Instead of introducing the head coaching carousel as reported, Schottenheimer will now look for a new job.
With the departure of Schottenheimer, Pete Carroll will appoint the fourth offensive coordinator of his term in Seattle, after Jeremy Bates and Darrell Bevell came before Schottenheimer.