Seattle Seahawks expected to hire former Alabama assistant

The Seattle Seahawks are expected to hire former Alabama assistant Karl Scott as their defensive pass game coordinator and secondary coach, according to On3’s Matt Zenitz. The veteran assistant spent last season as secondary coach with the Minnesota Vikings.

Prior to his jump to the NFL with the Vikings and Seahawks, Karl Scott spent three seasons as the Alabama defensive backs coach from 2018-2020. In his time with the Crimson Tide, he Patrick Surtain II, Trevon Diggs and Xavier McKinney, among others in the secondary. Scott was also part of the 2020 national championship staff.

The 36-year old Houston native started his coaching career at Delta State in 2007 and has since worked at Tusculum College, Southeastern Louisiana, Louisiana Tech and Texas Tech in similar defensive positions from 2008-2017.

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The Florida Gators had been heavily linked to former Vikings and Alabama assistant Karl Scott, but On3’s Matt Zenitz reported last month he would not join Billy Napier’s staff. The initial links tied the potential hire to a co-defensive coordinator role alongside former Louisiana assistant and current Florida co-defensive coordinator Patrick Toney.

As he now accepts the role with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL, Florida got its man in former New York Giants defensive line coach Sean Spencer, who will serve as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, sharing some duties with Toney.

Billy Napier has continued to add assistants with similar backgrounds to his to compliment the “army” he had built at Louisiana over the past several seasons. Scott filled that mold as a former member of the Alabama staff who worked with the defensive backs from 2018-2020.

Spencer is not the only NFL assistant set to join the Florida staff, even with Scott opting to remain in the league, as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Rob Sale reunited with his former Louisiana boss once again.

Sale worked as the New York Giants’ offensive line coach this past season after three years at Louisiana under Napier. After starting at the high school level in 2006, Sale headed to Alabama as a strength and condition coach and offensive analyst from 2007-11. While there, he helped the Crimson Tide to two national titles in 2009 and 2011.

When Sale and Napier worked together from 2018-20, Louisiana averaged 34.5 points per game and had a 28-11 record. The Ragin’ Cajuns recorded seasons with double-digit wins in 2019-20, the first time the mark had been achieved in school history. Additionally, they won the school’s first Sun Belt championship in 2020.