Seahawks GM - Owner wants new coach to maintain 'positive culture' - ESPN

RENTON, Wash. — With Pete Carroll out, general manager John Schneider's new role with the Seattle Seahawks will include control over personnel and oversight of the coaching staff.

But as Schneider leads the first head-coaching search of his 14-year tenure with the Seahawks, owner Jody Allen has given him one directive.

«It's clear, it's concise,» Schneider said. «We want to keep our positive culture, everything that's been created here… There's so many special people in this building. It's amazing to be on the phone with all these agents and the people that are interested in this position and to be able to explain to them, 'Hey, there's a foundation here that's incredible.'»

Schneider spoke with reporters Tuesday for the first time since Allen announced last Wednesday that she was moving Carroll into an advisory role with the organization. Schneider confirmed what Carroll had alluded to in his farewell news conference — that the GM will have final say over personnel matters regardless of which coach is hired to replace him. That's a change from the previous power structure in which Carroll had final say and reported directly to ownership.

«Our set-up earlier was… the coaching staff did not fall under my umbrella, and now it will,» said Schneider, who is signed through the 2027 draft after his contract was extended in January of 2021. «It's not necessarily a Jody Allen decision or choosing this person or that person, it's just a contractual situation.»

With administrative tasks taken care of, the search for Carroll's replacement began in earnest this week. The list of reported interview requests included eight names as of Tuesday afternoon.

Two of them, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, are Los Angeles Rams defensive