I made seared cod tonight. Dusted it with olive oil, pepper, salt and paprika. Seared it in a pan in the stove (3 minutes) flipped it over, and put it in a 400 F oven for 14 minutes.
Came out well cooked, not overdone, but consensus at the table was that it was a bit bland.
Thoughts for herbs and spices that go well with seared cod?
Google fish taco recipes. Many use cod and have lots of ideas for rubs, marinates, and various flavor enhancers to try.
Blackened
Which of the cod variants?
I mean, I like Pacific Cod (Gadus macrocephalus ) which has a “buttery” flavor to me, and find it works well with butter based sauces, but I fully grant that almost all cod species seem extremely mild in flavor.
Thus, they’re my preferred choices when the underlying flavor isn’t key, like my fish tacos, or fish “burgers”.
Chopped cod, red onion, green onion, cilantro, roasted medium-hot chiles, lime juice, and a touch of fish sauce (a little goes a long way), plus maybe a splash of extra hot sauce.
It’s not (IMHO) a fish where the fish itself takes the leading role. If you’re making a batter (Fish and Chips) or a heavily flavored crust (panko, parm and chives) it is fine as well.
[ Dammit, SDWC came in while I was typing out ingredients ]
Anyway, I also love adding it to a hot and spicey Ramen (Shin Red), so I think it’s about finding place where the mild flavor and texture work for you.
I frequently just bake the fillets at 207C with your treatment of olive oil, pepper, salt and paprika, except with the additions of a sprinkling of ground cayenne pepper and a good squeeze of lemon before baking. Sprinkle with chopped parsley when done. This makes a simple, flavorful and not-bland dish.
Oh, an additional option - don’t let any of the flavor (of the fish or the addons) escape!
Pouch it!
Put the fish and the flavoring on a piece of parchment paper, then crimp/fold and seal prior to a hot bake such as @Aspenglow suggests. Keep all the flavor with the fish. Sear it at the end under a broiler or with a torch if you like the extra color though.
And the same could be said for sous vide, but I’m sure on of our board advocates for that method will be along shortly. 
Soak it in a brine (salt and cold water) for about 10 minutes before you do anything else. Or anyway, that’s what I’d try.
Chimichuri sauce. It is wonderful on steak or fish. Wegman’s had a freash version on their olive bar.
If you are looking in your fridge try a mix of mustard and malt vinegar. Fresh lime and tajin are good too. Does your paparika make a big taste difference? I always thought it was for show.
Quality, fresh paprika has a great flavor (and that’s leaving out sharp, half sharp, sweet, and smoked variants!) - but most grocery store paprika is neither quality or fresh. 
But your point about chimichuri sauce is good, although I like the very non-traditional cilantro variant:
I used smoked paprika and could taste it.
Years ago, I learned about smoked paprika from @Chefguy. I’ve kept it as a flavoring staple ever since. (Thanks, Chef!)
I can now die happy. 
Next time use the cod to make Portuguese Seafood Stew (AKA Fisherman’s Stew). You’ll need a few more ingredients but the end result is fantastic. This dish had it’s origins in Portugal but maybe transported to New England by Portuguese sailors during the whaling era.
Easy and difficult ways, depending on how much time you want to spend on it, and how spicy the final product.
Easy:
Tougher:
These are all excellent suggestions; thank you. Next time I get cod I will try some.
This is what I was going to recommend. Either homemade, of which that recipe looks perfectly serviceable, or any one of many commercial variations, like Tony Chachere’s.
Or if you want flavor without strong spiciness, maybe go with Old Bay seasoning. Not just for shellfish!
I was thinking of Old Bay myself.