Several years before Josh Bynes would work for the Seattle Seahawks as a coach, he was a linebacker learning under Mike Macdonald in Baltimore.
Bynes played six total seasons for the Ravens across three separate stints. Macdonald was Bynes’ position coach in 2019. When Macdonald was hired as head coach of the Seahawks after the 2023 season, a reunion felt inevitable.
Bynes joined Macdonald’s staff in 2024 as a defensive assistant and linebackers coach, stepping into a new chapter of his football life — this time with a headset instead of a helmet.
“When Mike got hired here, it was really a no-brainer,” Bynes said on Glenn Clark Radio Feb. 2. “If there was anybody I was going to come to do it for, it was Mike. Obviously, it’s been a great decision. I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly and learned a lot along the way.”
Bynes’ decision wasn’t just about loyalty. He believed in the way Macdonald leads and the ways in which his leadership style separates him from other coaches.
“He just talks to you like he’s in your shoes, and that’s a hard thing to do for a lot of people because it’s always the X’s and O’s and things that are on paper,” Bynes said. “But he wants to be in your shoes, what you see, he wants your vision and also if it’s something where he can take off your table a little bit and figure out, ‘OK, how can he maximize this guy in the best way he can? … How can he get him to be the best version of himself when he steps on the field?'”
That player-first mentality — balancing connection with accountability — truly stuck with Bynes. Now a coach himself, he carries those same ideals into his own linebacker room every day.
“He’s really big on the players and them being in the right positions to make plays,” Bynes said. “He puts it on himself to be able to make things happen. He takes ownership and accountability all the time, and I think that’s very rare. You don’t have guys that do that in the way Mike does.”
The message in Seattle is quite simple.
“At the end of the day, we’re trying to go 1-0,” Bynes said.
It’s a mindset built on focus and discipline. That approach didn’t change as the Seahawks prepared for football’s biggest stage. Seattle defeated New England, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX behind a dominant defensive effort and strong performances across the roster.
While Bynes is building something in Seattle, he’s also watching another familiar face step into a major opportunity. Jesse Minter, who worked as a defensive assistant and defensive backs coach for the Ravens from 2017-2020, is now taking over in Baltimore as Ravens head coach. Bynes has no doubt about what’s coming next.
“Jesse … knew exactly what he was doing,” Bynes said. “What I loved about Jesse is that he’s patient, calm and he’s a good teacher. He’s not a guy that’s going to go crazy on you and stuff like that. He will, he has that moment, but he has a welcoming spirit and invites you in … and teaching you little things here and there that you might not have thought of.”
To Bynes, Minter is a natural fit for the Ravens’ culture.
“They picked the right guy. Jesse is a no-brainer,” Bynes said. “… It’s going to be a great fit for what Baltimore wants. He has that same Baltimore spirit — rugged, tough. He might look nice on the outside, but he’s ready to kick your ass. That’s what Jesse is going to bring to the table. The guys are going to see and they’re going to love him to death. I just can’t wait to see what he does out in Baltimore.”
For more from Bynes, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Seattle Seahawks