Seahawks lose assistant special teams coach Heath Farwell to the Panthers

The Seattle Seahawks will need a new assistant special teams coach, as Heath Farwell has reportedly accepted the same position with the Carolina Panthers. This also comes in the same week that Seattle agreed to part ways with assistant defensive line coach Dwaine Board, and senior defensive assistant Travis Jones. Quarterbacks coach Carl Smith is also expected to be replaced by Dave Canales, who’s been Seattle’s wide receivers coach.

Farwell was a core part of Seattle’s special teams group from 2011-2014, as well as added depth at linebacker. After hanging up the cleats following the 2014 season, Farwell would join the Seahawks’ coaching staff in 2016 as special teams coordinator Brian Schneider’s assistant. Seattle’s special teams DVOA ranking plummeted from 3rd in 2015 to 15th in 2016, then 20th in 2017. Unlike Darrell Bevell and Kris Richard, it looks as if Brian Schneider will remain with the team.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times noted that Farwell is now the seventh Seahawks assistant coach who won’t be back with the team in 2018, as Seattle reshuffles things following a failure to make the playoffs for the first time in the Russell Wilson era.