Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald Testifies after Super Bowl Win: ‘God Called Me to Be a Coach’

Michael Foust

Audio By Carbonatix

By Michael Foust, Crosswalk.com

Barely a decade ago, Mike Macdonald was a down-on-his-luck aspiring coach who had pivoted to a career in accounting when his future in football seemed bleak.

Today – and following several twists and turns along the way – he’s a Super Bowl-winning coach.

Macdonald’s Seattle Seahawks dominated New England from start to finish Sunday night, coasting to a 19-0 lead before wrapping up a 29-13 victory in Super Bowl LX, the second NFL title in franchise history.

In 2013, Macdonald was a 20-something man who was struggling to find a steady position in coaching and even had accepted a job offer with accounting firm KPMG. But before he began that new career path, the Baltimore Ravens offered him an internship – a last-minute opportunity that kept him in football and launched his improbable climb.

He became a head coach for the first time in his life in 2024 when the Seahawks hired him from Baltimore, where he had served as defensive coordinator. He guided Seattle to a solid season in 2024 with a 10-7 record but barely missed the playoffs. This season, the Seahawks finished 14-3 during the regular season and sailed through the postseason.

“I believe God called me to be a coach. And I listened to Him.”

Seattle’s head coach Mike MacDonald and MVP RB Kenneth Walker pointed to the Lord after their Super Bowl win over New England.

🎥 NBC Sports pic.twitter.com/0Bru8EkgoK
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) February 9, 2026

“I believe God called me to be a coach and I listened to Him, and I thank Him,” Macdonald, 38, told NBC during a postgame interview. “We are incredibly blessed to be Seahawks … and now we’re world champions.”

Macdonald continued that faith-centric theme during a news conference with multiple media members, saying it has strengthened not only him personally but also helped bond his team. He credited team chaplain Jonathan Rainey.

“I think one of the great things about our team is that we grow together, and that’s part of my life that’s been a journey,” Macdonald said. “My faith hasn't always been strong. You have doubts, you have kind of a roller coaster ride. And over the last few years, it's been really strengthened. And you see what our players do – and what Jonathan Rainey does every day, and brings people together.

“It’s a journey that we're in together. And it's empowering, and it's inspiring to pursue that part of your life that's so important.”

The team’s leading receiver for the season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, also referenced his faith during the postgame news conference.

“Jesus is everything,” Smith-Njigba said. “When I put it on His shoulders – He takes it off my shoulders. He never fails me. He's never failed me, whether we would have won or lost today. You know, Jesus won, and I'm just happy to give Him the glory today.”

Faith has been a theme for Seattle all season. For example, one of the season’s most viral clips came after the Seahawks’ win over Minnesota, when starting linebacker Ernest Jones was handed the game ball after his two-interception effort and then delivered a heartfelt testimony to his teammates.

“I’ve been through a lot this year, but earlier this week – I told a couple of guys – I found myself feeling stuck, and I found myself feeling like I was missing something, and what I was missing was God,” Jones told his teammates to cheers and applause in December.

“I got back on my knees. I started back praying – and just look at what we got. It’s bigger than this interception. It’s bigger than that. I got my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, back, and I'm with my boys.”

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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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