Who might Chargers pursue to coach? Some familiar names are surfacing

Offensive coordinator Frank Smith leads the Dolphins high-powered offense and was the Chargers offensive line coach in 2021. (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)

So where do the Chargers go from here?

They fired their coach and general manager Friday, which gives them something of a jump on the six or seven teams that will make similar big changes over the next few weeks. Of course, the Chargers can only do so much, as the new NFL rules bar them from interviewing anyone who’s on a current staff until after the divisional round of the playoffs.

That they fired coach Brandon Staley was not a shock. Everyone knew that was coming.

It was slightly more surprising they showed GM Tom Telesco the door. Yes, all those commenters on social media said the team should clean house — including Dean Spanos selling the club — but Telesco has done his share of good for that franchise. Regardless, he’s gone too.

The two most logical reasons for getting rid of the GM are either that the Chargers have a specific person in mind or they want to start fresh and make the coaching vacancy more enticing by giving that new hire the opportunity to help choose the GM.

It’s less likely that the process would go the other way, with the team hiring a GM who helps pick the coach.

Read more: Chargers fire coach Brandon Staley, GM Tom Telesco; Giff Smith is interim coach

A lot of people in NFL circles didn’t put much stock in the rumors that Tom Brady would wind up with the Chargers, or Sean Payton as coach, or now Bill Belichick coming to Los Angeles. They might like the buzz of those whispers, but the Chargers don’t open their wallets that wide.

We hear it just about every year. The Chargers need a culture change. They’re a franchise with warning-track power. They have some talented players on both sides of the ball, including a very good quarterback in Justin Herbert, yet the season invariably goes sideways.

In terms of an experienced head coach who builds a solid culture, Dallas Cowboys…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/news-analysis-might-chargers-pursue-205020958.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2023-12-15 20:50:20

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