The Washington Commanders have a new name in the mix for their defensive coordinator position. While the hype on Wednesday surrounded Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores interviewing with the team, a Seattle Seahawks‘ assistant also recently interviewed with the Commanders.
Karl Scott, the defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator for the Seahawks, met with the team regarding the DC opening, per John Keim of ESPN.
Washington interviewed Seattle DB coach/pass game coordinator Karl Scott per me and @BradyHenderson for their defensive coordinator opening. He’s the only one they’ve interviewed without prior DC experience. They will meet with Jonathan Gannon Thursday.
— John Keim (@john_keim) January 14, 2026
Scott, 40, has been with Seattle since 2022, when former coach Pete Carroll hired him to coach the secondary. When Carroll was let go after the 2023 season, new coach Mike Macdonald retained Scott. Considering Macdonald is a defensive-minded coach, he was clearly impressed with Scott’s work.
The Seahawks quietly became one of the NFL’s best defensive units in 2025. Here’s where Seattle ranked in several key categories:
- Points allowed: No. 1
- Total yards allowed: No. 1
- Points per drive: No. 1
- Passing yards allowed: No. 10
Scott’s secondary has been a big part of Seattle’s success. He’s overseen the development of numerous young players, such as Devon Witherspoon, Tariq Woolen, Josh Jobe, Coby Bryant, Ty Okada and rookie Nick Emmanwori. Scott began his coaching career in 2007 as a graduate assistant at Delta State. In 2008, he moved to Tusculum, where he spent four seasons as the secondary coach.
Scott moved to Southeastern Louisiana in 2012, where he served as linebackers coach for two years before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2014. He would then spend one year at Louisiana Tech as the secondary coach. That helped him move up another level, as he joined Texas Tech in 2015 as the defensive backs coach. In 2018, he joined Alabama, where he spent the next three seasons coaching defensive backs.
In 2021, Scott received his first NFL opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings. However, after head coach Mike Zimmer was fired after the season, Scott was looking for work, and he quickly landed with Carroll and the Seahawks.
Of the names Washington has either interviewed or been linked to, Scott is the only one who has not called plays. Could that be a problem for head coach Dan Quinn? After hiring a first-time offensive coordinator in David Blough, Quinn may be hesitant to go with two first-time play-callers.
Scott is another name to watch. And he could perhaps bring a Seattle player or two with him to the Commanders this offseason. If Quinn is concerned about him being a first-time play-caller, why did he even interview him? Quinn could shadow Scott, at least early in the season. The key when hiring a first-time play-caller is to surround them with plenty of veteran experience.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders interviewed Seahawks assistant for DC