There’s nothing like the latest Super Bowl-winning coach recruiting you to his franchise. After seven seasons leading his alma mater, a Northern Illinois coach has accepted a dual role as the team’s running backs coach and senior offensive assistant, as per Adam Schefter.

“Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock has accepted a job to become the next running backs coach/senior offensive assistant for the Seattle Seahawks, per ESPN’s @petethamel,” the NFL insider reported on Instagram.

It would appear that the allure of joining the Seahawks has poached the coach away to Mike Macdonald’s team. He is expected to become the highest-paid running backs coach in the NFL. While he was originally a candidate for Seattle’s offensive coordinator position, the position eventually went to Brian Fleury.

This transition brings Hammock back to the NFL, where he previously spent five seasons coaching the Baltimore Ravens as an RB coach. During that time, he worked alongside current Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, making this move a reunion of sorts. 

Over the years, he has built an extensive resume in the college ranks, coaching standout running backs at Wisconsin and serving as a co-offensive coordinator at Minnesota.

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Hammock’s departure marks the end of an era for the NIU Huskies. During his tenure, he led the team to a Mid-American Conference title in 2021 and back-to-back bowl victories in 2023 and 2024. His most famous moment came in 2024 when he led the Huskies to a massive upset over Notre Dame, which stood as the only regular-season loss for the Fighting Irish that year. 

Despite a tough 3-9 record last season, Hammock had recently signed a contract extension intended to keep him at the school through 2029. But now with him moving to the Seahawks, the program faces a period of transition as it looks for a new leader to guide it into the Mountain West Conference in 2026. 

Mike Macdonald recruits new coaches from his previous teams

The celebration from Seattle’s Super Bowl LX victory had barely ended when the reality of defending a title set in. With the streets still covered in parade confetti, head coach Mike Macdonald has already shifted his focus to the 2026 season.

He began by strengthening the roster, recently signing defensive end Jalan Gaines to a futures contract to build more depth on the defensive line. However,  Macdonald’s biggest challenge hasn’t just been the players, but rebuilding a coaching staff.

The team faced a major challenge when coordinator Klint Kubiak left to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. To replace him, Seattle went to a division rival and planned on hiring Brian Fleury, who previously served as the tight ends coach and run game coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.

Fleury is highly regarded for his work with elite talent and is expected to keep the Seahawks’ high-scoring offense on track as they look to repeat.

Macdonald is also reuniting with familiar colleagues from his time with the Baltimore Ravens to keep the defense elite. He hired Zach Orr, the former Ravens defensive coordinator, to serve as the Seahawks’ new inside linebackers coach. Additionally, Daniel Stern is joining the staff after a decade in Baltimore and is expected to take on the role of pass game strategist. 

These moves are likely just the start of a busy offseason as the champions work to stay ahead of the curve.