Central alum, former assistant coach joins Seattle Seahawks staff

Central Washington University graduate, one-time football player, and former assistant coach Greg Olson has been hired by the Seattle Seahawks as their new quarterbacks coach. The team announced the move on Monday, bringing the 1986 Central alumnus back to the Northwest.

CWU alum Greg Olson has joined the Seattle Seahawks coaching staff as the new quarterbacks coach.

Olson was an offensive assistant with the Los Angeles Rams last year and replaces Dave Canales, who left during the offseason to become the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Olson started his coaching career at Washington State University and then moved to CWU to become the offensive coordinator from 1990-93, when future NFL quarterback Jon Kitna emerged to set numerous school records.

During his final season coaching for the Wildcats, Olson's offense led the nation among NAIA Division 2 schools, averaging 517 yards per game, including 318 yards passing. Kitna was among the nation's passing leaders that year, with 3,241 yards and 29 touchdown passes and went on to play in the NFL for 16 seasons, including five with the Seahawks.

After his four seasons on the CWU coaching staff, Olson spent three years as a quarterbacks coach at Idaho and Purdue, before getting his first NFL opportunity as a quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers in 2001. Olson's success at Central and Idaho helped him become the QBs coach at Purdue, where he would start his work with a freshman quarterback in 1997 by the name of Drew Brees-a record-setting passer in college who went on to a potential Hall of Fame career with the New Orleans Saints.

Next season, Olson will be working with Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith, who recently won the league's Most Improved and Comeback Player of the Year awards after leading the Seahawks to the playoffs despite low expectations from the national media.

The Richland native is a six-time NFL offensive coordinator, having served in the position for the Detroit Lions (2004-05), St. Louis Rams (2006-07), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2009-11), Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2013-14, 2018-21), and Jacksonville Jaguars (2015-16).