More than a year ago, the Seahawks quietly extended the contract of general manager John Schneider through 2016, Mike Sando of ESPN.com reported Friday. The Seahawks didn’t return messages seeking comment.
The Seahawks have gone 7-9, 7-9 and 11-5 in Schneider’s first three seasons, including two playoff appearances. Schneider in January finished third in NFL Executive of the Year voting behind Ryan Grigson of Indianapolis and John Elway of Denver.
A week after the Seahawks hired Pete Carroll as head coach in January 2010, Schneider was hired away from Green Bay. In his first season, the Seahawks made 284 personnel transactions in a radical makeover of the roster that continued through a second season.
After drafting Russell Wilson in the third round in 2012 solved the quarterback issue, the Seahawks made the playoffs with one of the NFL’s youngest teams and are among the Super Bowl favorites heading into fall camp.
Carroll is on a five-year deal that drew him away from USC and runs through the 2014 season, paying him $33 million and giving him control of football operations, including approval of the hire of Schneider, who was signed to a three-year deal through 2012.
In other Seahawks front office news this week, Tag Ribary, in his 16th season with the club, has been promoted to director of team operations and will oversee team security, team video, facility and equipment departments.
Trent Kirchner has been promoted to fill Ribary’s previous role as director of pro personnel. Kirchner, who started as an intern in the team’s communications department, enters his fourth year with the Seahawks after spending eight seasons (2002-09) as a scout with the Carolina Panthers.
Former Panthers 2001 first-round draft pick Dan Morgan takes over Kirchner’s former title of assistant director of pro personnel. Morgan spent the last two years with the Seahawks as a pro scout.
Josh Graff, who spent the last two seasons as an intern in the Seahawks scouting department, has been promoted to national scout and will rep the club in the Carolinas region for National Scouting, Inc.
Jim Nagy has been hired on as the southeast area scout to replace Derrick Jensen, who retires after 22 seasons with the club. Jensen, who is battling ALS, made the team’s final two picks in April’s draft on his 57th birthday, selecting offensive guard Jared Smith and offensive tackle Michael Bowie via conference call with Carroll and Schneider.
