Mike Macdonald credits John Harbaugh for shaping him into a head coach

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald doesn’t think he’d be a head coach in a Super Bowl if not for John Harbaugh.

Macdonald spent a decade as an assistant to Harbaugh in Baltimore, and he said that it was Harbaugh who shaped him into the head coach he is today.

“I don’t think it’s possible to overstate his influence on me,” Macdonald said. “I love John Harbaugh. He’s one of my biggest mentors. He was willing to take chances on me when other people weren’t and invested in me throughout my career. He had a vision for me and my career that I probably didn’t have for myself. All the principles that are part of his program, that he’s about as a person, resonated with me. Those are a lot of the foundational principles that we brought to Seattle. He’s also a great friend, got a great family, I can’t say how much I love him.”

Macdonald was 26 years old when Harbaugh hired him, and 12 years later he’s one of the best head coaches in the NFL. Harbaugh had a lot to do with that.