The Seattle Seahawks promoted Willie Schneider and Matt Berry to assistant general manager roles, keeping two longtime NFL personnel executives in elevated posts under president of football operations and general manager John Schneider.
Willie Schneider, Matt Berry Move Up
Field Gulls reported the promotions after NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said Seattle had moved both executives into assistant general manager positions. The Seahawks' official front-office roster lists Berry and Willie Schneider as assistant general managers under player personnel.
The reshuffle follows Nolan Teasley leaving Seattle to become general manager of the Minnesota Vikings. Field Gulls also reported that Trent Kirchner, another longtime Seahawks personnel executive, joined Teasley in Minnesota.
Seattle did not announce contract terms for the promoted executives. The official roster still lists John Schneider as president of football operations/general manager, with Berry and Willie Schneider now among the senior names in the player personnel department.
Berry Brings Long Seattle Personnel Run
Berry has been with the Seahawks since the Mike Holmgren years, according to Field Gulls, putting him near two decades in the organization. His background has leaned heavily toward scouting and player acquisition.
Field Gulls reported that Berry served eight years as director of college scouting through 2022, moved to senior director of player personnel in 2023 and was most recently vice president of player acquisition. The same report noted he had been a candidate for the Tennessee Titans general manager job last year.
That makes the assistant GM title less a sudden introduction than a formal elevation of a staffer already embedded in Seattle's personnel process. For a team coming off front-office losses, continuity has obvious value.
More Seahawks Front Office Changes
Willie Schneider has spent 13 seasons with the Seahawks, according to Field Gulls, with experience across scouting and pro personnel. The report described him as having held several roles, including director of pro personnel, before the assistant GM promotion.
The Seahawks' official front-office roster also reflects other moves in the personnel and analytics departments. Aaron Hineline is listed as director of player personnel, Jason Barnes as director of college scouting and Patrick Ward as vice president of research and analytics.
The point for Seattle is practical: after Teasley and Kirchner left, the Seahawks filled key football-operations seats with people already familiar with the club's scouting language, roster meetings and draft process. That does not guarantee better picks, but it does prevent the operation from turning into a summer reset.