How the British coach went from amateur play to the Super Bowl

Aden Durde is usually too focused on his job as defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks to think about the significance of his journey.

But every now and then it hits him.

The British coach experienced one such moment during Seattle’s crucial match at San Francisco on January 3.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I kind of take little moments of gratitude,” he said.

“Like last week at the 49ers. The atmosphere was so electric. And thinking about where I am blows my mind sometimes.”

The former London Warriors coach watched his The Seattle team beat the hosts 13-3 to secure first place in the NFC for the NFL play-offs.

They have since beaten the 49ers again, as well as the Los Angeles Rams, to book a return to Levi’s Stadium this Sunday for the Super Bowl, one of the biggest games in world sports.

From amateur play to the NFL

Born in Middlesex, Durde began playing American football at Hayes and Finsbury Park and played in the now-defunct NFL Europe League and spent time on two NFL practice squads.

Upon returning home, he became the defensive coordinator for the Warriors, an amateur team, and did voluntary work mentoring children in north London. He also created a company that teaches children excluded from the education system.

Then during a trip to Texas with the Warriors, he was offered an impromptu interview with the Dallas Cowboys and took full advantage of it to obtain an internship in 2014.

Durde continued to make the most of every opportunity that came his way, and in 2018 he became the NFL’s first full-time British coach, serving as defensive quality control coach for the Atlanta Falcons.

Returning to Dallas in 2021, he joined Seattle in 2024, and is now in his eighth consecutive season coaching in the NFL.

“People send me messages from different countries and talk to me about football, about opportunities, about ways to get there, and in those moments you remember where you come from,” Durde said.

“It’s not easy and I hope one day it will be much easier.”

He has already helped NFL prospects overseas by establish the path of the international player with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora, but Durde continues to be a trailblazer himself.

Not only did the 46-year-old become the first foreign coach to reach the Super Bowl, but he was also interviewed by Atlanta and the Cleveland Browns about their recent head coaching vacancies.

“Right now, I’m having the time of my life,” he said. “Honestly, if things happen, they happen.

“I feel like when you go about your business, things change when they need to change.”

How Durde helped transform Seattle’s defense

In two years in Seattle, Durde and head coach Mike Macdonald transformed the Seahawks defense.

This is Durde’s first time working with Macdonald – also a defensive coach – so his first season has been “a year of real growth, understanding and adaptation” in which the new coaching regime “has built a foundation, we are on the right track”.

Seattle finished the 2024 season with a 10-7 record and missed the play-offs thanks to the tiebreaker. In hindsight, this might have been a blessing in disguise, giving them an extra year to build.

“I’m not going to lie, we wanted to get in,” Durde said. “But once the season is over, you do your self-research, you figure out how you improve, and we followed that process.”

In 2023, Seattle’s defense was ranked second worst against the running game and third worst overall. In Macdonald and Durde’s first season, they rose to mid-table in both cases.

This season, the Seahawks defense ranks third against the run and has given up the fewest points (17.2 per game).

“There are a lot of defenses that are middle of the table in the running game and always play great defense, they always stop runs,” Durde said.

“But if you’re really trying to create an identity, a style of play, and you want to make it difficult for everything (your opponents) do, it all starts with stopping the run.

“It’s been a focal point since we got here, and it’s been a process that’s been building up as we’ve moved forward.”

Why Seattle is the Super Bowl favorite

Seattle’s defense demonstrated its prowess in the final game of the regular season in San Francisco, with the NFC West title and the NFC’s top seed on the line.

A week after beating the Chicago Bears in a 42-38 shootout, the 49ers were held to just three points by the Seahawks, who finished the regular season with a 14-3 record.

Seattle fans are known as “the 12” because they are considered the 12th man on the team and Coach Macdonald has harnessed that energy.

Asked about Seattle’s defensive philosophy, Durde said: “It’s really simple. Mike says it every day, ’12 to 1.’

“We want the teams that play us to feel like there are 12 players on the field, everyone is running to the ball, everyone is hitting the ball, everyone is physical, everyone is locked in. We echo that message and the guys are really turning into it.”

Seattle proved its status as the best team in the NFC West division and the NFC Conference as a whole by beating two of its division rivals in the play-offs.

The Seahawks enter Sunday’s title game on a nine-game winning streak after beating the injured 49ers 41-6 before posting a 31-27 victory at home against the Rams.

And despite facing a New England Patriots team that also went 14-3 in the regular season and is tied for the most Super Bowl wins (six), Seattle is a marginal favorite to earn its second Super Bowl victory in Santa Clara, California.