Who is Seattle Sea Dragons head coach Jim Haslett? Examining coaching career of former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

The Seattle Sea Dragons might have lost both their opening games, but coach Jim Haslett has certainly created one of the most watchable outfits in the league.

It's a testament to his experience in the coaching arena for many years before becoming the coach of the XFL franchise. However, if results do not improve, he might find himself in the hot seat soon. The good news for him, though, is that both the losses have been by slim margins, and there's a lot for him to work with on the roster.

However, before we talk about what the future holds, we need to look at his past. From his time playing in the NFL before rising all the way to becoming a coach, Jim Haslett has a fascinating story.

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Jim Haslett's story from NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year to XFL Coach

Jim Haslett played college football for the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1979 NFL draft.

He immediately repaid their faith by being named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, his NFL career ended shortly after he broke his leg in the 1986 preseason. That ended his career in Buffalo before he played just one more season in 1987 with the New York Jets.

He began his coaching career in 1988 at the University of Buffalo as an assistant coach. In 1991, he got the chance to become a coach at a pro football level when he became the defensive line, linebackers, and special teams coach for the Sacramento Surge in the World League of American Football. The minor league of the NFL created an opening for him to begin his coaching career in the NFL.

The Los Angeles Raiders hired Jim Haslett in 1993 as linebackers coach before he moved to the New Orleans Saints in 1995 in the same position. A long association would begin for him with the franchise. He became the defensive coordinator with the Saints in 1996 before he took up the same position with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1997 to 1999.

He returned to the New Orleans Saints in 2000 as their coach. He turned around a 3-13 team to a 10-6 team and clinched a playoff win against the St. Louis Rams that season. Because of his exploits, he was named the NFL Coach of the Year. However, that was the high point of his tenure, as he was sacked in 2005 having failed to lead them to the playoffs again, and was succeeded by Sean Payton.

Jim Haslett became the defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams from 2006 to 2008.

After seeing his opportunities dwindle in the NFL, he went to the United Football League in 2009 and became the coach of the Florida Tuskers. That opened pathways back for him into the NFL, and by 2010, he was Washington's defensive coordinator. He was also the linebackers coach for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2016 to 2018 and was the inside linebackers coach for the Tennessee Titans in 2020.

Much like before, he's is out of the NFL but now has the opportunity to make his mark in the XFL and find a way back into the big league or choose to stay with the Seattle Sea Dragons and achieve success in this league.

However, as he's the coach and general manager of the team, the focus on him will be glaring. He needs to start winning games at the earliest, otherwise none of the future opportunities could arise.