The Seahawks have crept squarely onto the second tier of NFC teams, just below the 49ers and Eagles. In Seattle’s effort to go to the next level, defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt literally is going to the next level.
Hurtt will move from the field to the booth during games in 2023, at the direction of coach Pete Carroll.
“Years ago when I was in San Francisco I’d never been upstairs and George [Seifert] told me to go upstairs,” Carroll told reporters on Friday. “The moment I got up there I kicked myself because I didn’t realize how much better it is to call a game from upstairs.
“It’s just better. It’s easier, it’s clearer, you have more at your disposal, you have more information handed to you over your shoulder at all times. You can see things happening, not so much see the game, it’s seeing what’s leading up to the game. It’s the substitutions, it’s the down and distance and you immediately see the ‘D’ and ‘D’ when you’re upstairs. You’re the first one to see guys coming off the field, too. All those things dictate how you make your calls and so it’s just a better place. I was thrilled he was open for the thought and he went up there and thought there was no question he wanted to be up there.”
Hurtt went upstairs for the preseason. Carroll was asked how that went.
“It worked fine, we were in mid-season form,” Carroll said. “We’ve prepared for it and done a lot of work to make sure they were ready and it was easy.”
It’s not as if Hurtt had an option. Carroll sent his defensive coordinator to the booth.
“I wanted him to go upstairs but I was going to gauge it on how he handled it, what he felt,” Carroll said. “It worked out well, so we’re excited about that.”
The downside is that Hurtt isn’t present to talk to players during the game.
“You give up something, he’s a great sideline coach,” Carroll said. “He’s important to the players, he’s the one who talks to them all the time. They don’t get a direct conversation with him so, you got to have strong guys down there to do a good job and fortunately, our guys handle it really well. That’s part of the process in deciding whether it’s going to work out and all. We put it all together and he was all for it and made it work so, [senior defensive assistant] Karl [Scott] and [linebackers coach] John [Glenn] downstairs and the other guys on the staff down there, they did a fine job of picking it up and carrying the load down there.”
The goal is to get the Seahawks back to the top of the conference. They’re closer than most realize. The difference can come from the little things that an experienced coach like Carroll are able to spot and incorporate.
It starts tomorrow, with a visit from the Rams. And it gets real next week, with a trip to Detroit.