Between analysing film, making game plans, running practice, keeping the team morale up, and overseeing the actual game week in week out, the life of an NFL head coach is hectic. Most coaches, including Mike Macdonald, don’t even get to spend much time with their families because of it.
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The Seahawks head coach talked about this dilemma in a sit-down interview ahead of the NFC Championship Game. Comparing this season to his rookie season as a coach last year, Macdonald described how he tries to get away from the Seattle Seahawks facility more and more of late. From the sounds of things, he practically lived there last year.
This season, Macdonald is trying a new approach by watching more film at home. Still, he is only getting anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour of personal time with his one-year-old son, Jack, in a week. The two barely get to see each other.
“I don’t get to see Jack throughout the week as much. So, Thursdays, which is today, I try to get home pretty quick to be with him for maybe half an hour, an hour before he goes to bed. And then, I’ve got a setup in my house where I can work on the game plan,” Macdonald told King 5 Sports.
This illustrates how little time an NFL head coach has for themselves and their families during the season. They watch so much film and study so much that it takes over their lives. Some, like Macdonald, can’t even escape work once they get home.
Macdonald’s revelation, however, garnered mixed reactions from NFL fans, with some calling him out. “I’ve taken longer sh*ts than that,” one wrote.
“What a f*ckin loser,” another commented. “Damn, that’s sad,” a third piled on.
Fans were not too impressed with Macdonald’s parenting, and they were going after him. That’s when ex-Super Bowl champion Mitchell Schwartz jumped in to defend him by listing the weekly schedule of an NFL head coach.
“People are ragging on this, but there are a few key factors here: 1) Monday and Tuesday are marathon days for coaches. They watch all the films of their opponent and figure out the game plan. Some don’t even go home those nights, or if they do, it’s for just a couple hours,” Schwartz stated on X.
People are ragging on this but there’s a few key factors here:
1) Monday and Tuesday are marathon days for coaches. They watch all the film of their opponent and figure out the game plan. Some don’t even go home those nights, or if they do it’s for just a couple hours. https://t.co/hAEqO8jfXH
— Mitchell Schwartz (@MitchSchwartz71) January 24, 2026
The former lineman went on to list five other duties that coaches have to deal with throughout a work week. Most notably, he mentioned that Wednesday is the start of a coach’s week, Thursday is the longest day of the practice week, and Friday is the shortest. Schwartz also said that Macdonald could be exaggerating and argued that he probably sees his kid for longer than 30 minutes per day.
Still, at the end of the day, being a head coach in the NFL is demanding. It’s a job that requires passion as a prerequisite and doesn’t really have set hours. Success is usually defined by a coach’s willingness to go the extra mile. For Macdonald, that extra mile comes with sacrificing family time.
The good thing about sports, though, is that the season only lasts for a finite number of months. There’s an offseason in every sport, which provides plenty of time for coaches and players to relax with their families. So, let’s not act like Macdonald is a bad parent. He’s providing for his family while doing the job he loves.
