The Seahawks are adding another coach aimed at reviving their running game - Justin Outten, who is expected to be hired as an offensive run game specialist.
A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed the reported hire to The Seattle Times. The source was granted anonymity because the move has not been announced.
Outten, 41, spent the past two seasons with the Tennessee Titans, serving last season as tight ends coach and in 2023 as running backs coach and run game coordinator.
Like others added to the offensive coaching staff in recent days, Outten has familiarity with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.
Outten was the offensive coordinator in 2022 with Denver when Kubiak was the offensive pass game coordinator and QBs coach.
That was Russell Wilson's first season as QB in Denver after his trade from Seattle, with Nathaniel Hackett as the coach.
Hackett, who called the plays to begin the season, handed over those duties to Kubiak for six games late in the year.
Outten called the plays for the final two games of the season after Hackett was fired and replaced by interim coach Jerry Rosburg. Outten interviewed to become the offensive coordinator with the Ravens in 2023 (when current Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was Ravens' defensive coordinator) before that job went to Todd Monken.
Outten also spent three seasons with Green Bay working under coach Matt LaFleur as tight ends coach and began his coaching career in 2016 as a coaching intern with the Atlanta Falcons when Dan Quinn was the coach and Kyle Shanahan the offensive coordinator. Outten spent the 2017-18 seasons in Atlanta as an offensive assistant.
Outten was a two-year starter at center for Syracuse in 2005-06 before getting into coaching, spending the 2008-15 seasons at Westfield High School in Houston.
It was also reported this week that the Seahawks hope to hire longtime NFL offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Rick Dennison.
He was a senior offensive assistant last year with the Saints, where Kubiak was the coordinator, and could be added to a similar role with the Seahawks. The NFL Network reported Wednesday that the Seahawks had received permission to interview Dennison.
Macdonald said Tuesday that "a couple" of additions could be made to the staff, and added that everybody currently on staff would stay.
The Seahawks have a coaching staff of 23, including Macdonald.
They last year had 25 and would reach that number with Outten and Dennison.
Kubiak was hired to replace the fired Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator.
The firing of Grubb kicked off a significant turnover in the offensive coaching staff, as five others have departed.
Those five are:
* Offensive line coach Scott Huff (now the Rams tight ends coach).
* Offensive assistant and quality control coach Zak Hill (now QB coach at Boise State.
* Quarterbacks coach Charles London (same role with Jets).
* Offensive assistant Chuckie Keeton (same role with Patriots).
* Assistant offensive line coach Brendan Nugent (now Saints offensive line coach).
They have been replaced by offensive line coach John Benton, QB coach Andrew Janocko, offensive assistant Michael Byrne, and likely the hiring of Outten and possibly Dennison.
Janocko, Benton, Byrne and Dennison spent last season with the Saints and Kubiak.
Offensive coaches returning in the same roles this year are tight ends coach Mack Brown, receivers coach Frisman Jackson, offensive assistant/quality control-offensive line coach Quinshon Odom, offensive passing game coordinator Jake Peetz, running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu and assistant wide receivers coach Tyson Prince.
The defensive coaching staff is returning all but one member - quality control coach Nick Perry, who left to become secondary coach at Arkansas. Former Seahawk defensive back Neiko Thorpe, who spent last year in a player engagement/football operations role, has been added to the coaching staff as a defensive assistant/special teams coach. He was a defensive assistant in 2023, the last year Pete Carroll was coach.
Thorpe and defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Karl Scott are the only two coaches on the staff who were on the staff under Carroll, aside from the strength and conditioning coaches.
