Not such a long way from Fargo

RENTON, Wash. – From Fargo to NFL coordinator, Casey “Gus” Bradley’s career has certainly taken the fast track.

Just more than three years ago, Bradley was an assistant at Division II North Dakota State. Now he’s running the Seattle Seahawks’ defense.

Unexpected? Closer to unfathomable.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” said the 42-year-old Bradley, the youngest of six children in a family raised on Iowa State football back when it was the coaching cradle for Johnny Majors, Jackie Sherrill and Earle Bruce.

Bradley, who got his nickname from an older brother as a 2-year-old and hasn’t gone by Casey since, can sure talk.

Former Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin found that out when he cold-called Bradley after the 2005 season. He was seeking a reference on a colleague of Bradley’s at North Dakota State, whom Kiffin was interested in bringing to Tampa Bay. But the more Bradley talked, the more Kiffin became interested instead in this smart, impassioned assistant who had been tucked away for two decades in Fargo and in Durango, Colo., at Fort Lewis College.

One interview with former Bucs coach Jon Gruden later, Bradley had talked his way into being a quality control coach for Tampa Bay. The next year, when Joe Barry left for Detroit, Bradley became the Bucs’ linebackers coach.

“The more he did things for me, I said, ‘Wow!’ ” Kiffin said Wednesday by cell phone while touring Tennessee to celebrate recruiting. He is now his son Lane’s defensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee.

Last month, Seahawks coach Jim Mora was assembling a new staff in the days after taking over for Mike Holmgren when Kiffin called and recommended Bradley.

Mora recalled Kiffin saying. “He’s an A-plus. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime coach. You need to talk to him. His name’s Gus Bradley.”

Mora had never heard of him. Yet he brought him in for an interview. It was supposed to be a business-hours meeting.

Mora was still thinking New York Jets assistant Dan Quinn may be his next coordinator to fix a unit that finished 30th in league in total defense and last against the pass while Seattle slumped to 4-12 in 2008.

Mora picked up Bradley at his hotel at 8 a.m. He dropped him off at 11 p.m.

Through breakfast, lunch, dinner and a cardio workout together, Mora and Bradley found themselves similarly turbocharged on football and on life. They watched film. They drew X’s and O’s. They talked personal habits, families, “Tampa Two” pass coverages.

“I spent 15 consecutive hours with Gus,” Mora said. “I mean, it was thorough.”

After it, Mora made Quinn his defensive line coach and vaulted Bradley to replace John Marshall as defensive coordinator.

Bradley almost scoffed when asked if it blows his mind to be running an NFL defense three-plus years out of NDSU.

“No. My focus is to get this thing back on track and get going in the right direction, which I believe we can,” he said.

“Let’s go. We need to get better. I don’t think about that.”