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With training camp set to begin in a matter of days, it appeared any coaching staff changes had already occurred for the Seahawks. In March, Seattle promoted Dave Canales to passing-game coordinator, with Austin Davis replacing Canales as quarterbacks coach. Now, in late July, the Seahawks will see another change to their staff.
On Wednesday, the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta reported that assistant offensive line coach Pat Ruel was retiring.
One Seahawks assistant coaching change on the eve of training camp hopefully beginning -- longtime assistant offensive line coach Pat Ruel is retiring. Ruel, 69, has been with Pete Carroll since 2005. Ruel has had title of assistant offensive line coach with Seahawks since 2010.
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) July 22, 2020
As Condotta noted, Ruel came to Seattle with Pete Carroll from USC and has remained an offensive line assistant throughout Art Valero, Tom Cable, and Mike Solari’s tenures as offensive line coach. According to Field Gulls’ own John P. Gilbert, Ruel was gunslingin’ quarterback Brian Schottenheimer’s offensive coordinator during his season at Kansas.
Though reports of Ruel’s retirement arrived right at the end of the offseason, Carroll and the team will have presumably been aware of the possibility for some time. For the first time in 15 years, Carroll’s coaching staff will not include Pat Ruel.