Bates was let go after Seattle's offense finished the regular season ranked 28th in the league. The Seahawks finally displayed some offensive punch in their 41-36 playoff upset of New Orleans, but reverted to the same struggling unit last Sunday in their season-ending 35-24 loss at Chicago.
NFL Network first reported Bates' dismissal and it was later confirmed by the team. Head coach Pete Carroll is scheduled to hold a season-ending news conference on Wednesday morning.
Bates was one of the coaches Carroll hand-picked to come along from Southern California and help in his return to the NFL. And Bates' past seemed to indicate potential success with the Seahawks. In 2008, Bates served as quarterbacks coach in Denver when Jay Cutler was a Pro Bowl selection and threw for more than 4,500 yards.
When Josh McDaniels came in as Denver's new head coach, Bates left to become Carroll's offensive coordinator at USC, then followed Carroll to Seattle.