Winning a Super Bowl often results in significant turnover among coaching staffs, and the Seattle Seahawks faced major changes after winning Super Bowl 60. The team had to rebuild most of its offensive staff, and another addition was announced on Wednesday, this time coming from college ranks.
Seahawks Hire Thomas Hammock as NFL’s Highest-Paid RB Coach
The Seahawks poached Thomas Hammock from the Northern Illinois coaching staff. He’ll become the league’s highest-paid running back coach after choosing the champions over other NFL opportunities. ESPN’s Pete Thamel confirmed the move on early Wednesday:
“Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock has accepted a job to become the next running backs coach/senior offensive assistant for the Seattle Seahawks. He’s expected to become the NFL’s highest paid RB coach and chose Seattle amid multiple NFL opportunities.”
The situation regarding Hammock is curious. The job became available late in the season, after previous coach Kennedy Polamalu took a leave of absence for personal reasons. There has been no official announcement about his current status, but he’s not listed on the Seahawks’ coaching staff on the official website.
Sources: Northern Illinois head coach Thomas Hammock has accepted a job to become the next running backs coach/senior offensive assistant for the Seattle Seahawks. He’s expected to become the NFL’s highest paid RB coach and chose Seattle amid multiple NFL opportunities. . pic.twitter.com/fGq3ZZ6rrM
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 18, 2026
Curiously, Kenneth Walker’s production improved massively since Polamalu left the position in late December. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry between Weeks 1-15 of the season; with Polamalu gone, his average rose to 5.2 yards per carry. This happened without running back Zach Charbonnet, who was out for the rest of the season with an injury.
Hammock’s Coaching History Shapes Seahawks’ Offensive Future
Hammock takes over the job after a long history of coaching the position. He was the running backs coach for Northern Illinois in 2005, then held the same title at Minnesota and Wisconsin in subsequent years before moving to the NFL. He was the running backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens from 2014 to 2018.
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In 2019, he left the Ravens to return to Northern Illinois as its head coach. He finished three of his seven seasons with the Huskies with a positive record, including bowl wins in 2023 and 2024. The Huskies had a 3-9 record in 2025, ending his spell with the university with a 35-47 record.
Among the running backs he coached during his career, he helped the likes of Montee Ball, James White, and Melvin Gordon reach the NFL at Wisconsin, including a fourth-place finish for Ball in the 2011 Heisman Trophy voting. He’ll have to wait to discover who will be on the roster, as Walker will become a free agent in March.
