Renton, Washington – The Seattle Seahawks have appointed San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach and run game coordinator Brian Fleury as their new offensive coordinator, , according to multiple reports. The move comes after Klint Kubiak departed to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following Seattle’s Super Bowl LX victory.
Head coach Mike Macdonald initially considered promoting from within, interviewing four internal candidates – run game coordinator Justin Outten, passing game coordinator Jake Peetz, quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, and tight ends coach Mack Brown – before ultimately selecting Fleury. Macdonald emphasized that Fleury’s vision for the offense aligned closely with the Seahawks’ existing principles and culture.
“He did a phenomenal job,” Macdonald stated. “I think his vision and his offensive beliefs… aligned with what we were looking for. The principles and the philosophy on how he goes about his work, how he coaches, and what he expects from our offense, he took right out of our playbook.”
While Fleury lacks prior experience as a primary play-caller, Macdonald expressed confidence in his ability to lead the offense, citing a shared understanding of offensive strategy. “Everything we’ve talked about throughout the season about connectivity, attention to detail, the mindset – he didn’t say it verbatim, but he very well could have,” Macdonald explained. “How we want to run the ball. Tacitly, there are a lot of similarities. But in terms of how we work, I felt like he’d be a great partner to work with.”
Macdonald’s priority was to maintain continuity for quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense, which finished third in the league in scoring during the season. Fleury’s background within a similar West Coast offensive system made him an attractive candidate. He spent seven seasons with the 49ers under Kyle Shanahan, including the last four as tight ends coach and, most recently, adding run game coordinator duties in .
The connection between Fleury and Kubiak also played a role in the decision. Kubiak served as the 49ers’ passing game coordinator in , when Darnold was a backup quarterback for San Francisco. Fleury is well-versed in the West Coast offense that Kubiak implemented in Seattle, a system rooted in the philosophies of Mike and Gary Shanahan and Kubiak.
“It looks a lot like what just won the Super Bowl,” Fleury said of his offensive approach. “It’s more about how you play than what you actually do schematically. We’re going to be fast, violent, and aggressive in every way possible, putting pressure on defenses both schematically and from a tempo standpoint, and always maintaining that mindset.”
During Kubiak’s single season as Seahawks offensive coordinator, the team led the NFL in designed run percentage, utilized the second-highest percentage of plays under center, and ranked among the top ten in run-pass option plays. Fleury indicated that the use of a fullback, a feature of the Seahawks’ offense under Kubiak, would be determined by the opponent.
“I’ve already started diving deep into everything Klint did here last year, and the goal would be to keep as much of that as possible,” Fleury stated. “But there are also areas where we can complement that with things we’ve developed and done in San Francisco under Kyle, that Klint wasn’t around for or maybe didn’t implement as much.”
Fleury’s coaching career began in as a graduate assistant at the University of Maryland. After a decade in college football, he transitioned to the NFL in , initially working on the defensive side of the ball with the Buffalo Bills. He later held positions with the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, where he focused on football research and analysis before joining the 49ers in .
The hiring of Fleury represents a strategic move by Macdonald to maintain offensive momentum following a successful season. The Seahawks will be looking to build on their Super Bowl LX championship and continue to be a competitive force in the NFC West. The continuity offered by Fleury’s familiarity with a similar offensive system is expected to facilitate a smooth transition and minimize disruption for Darnold and the Seahawks’ offensive players, including tight ends Elijah Arroyo and AJ Barner.
