Insider sheds light on what Chargers are looking for in next HC

Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Insider sheds light on what Chargers are looking for in next head coach

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 12/18/23

The good thing about firing their head coach 15 weeks into the season for the Los Angeles Chargers is they have a three-week head start on identifying and narrowing down exactly what it is they want in Brandon Staley’s successor.

Marty Schottenheimer notwithstanding, the Chargers have typically been conservative in their head-coaching hires. But with just two playoff appearances and one playoff win in seven seasons since moving to Los Angeles, SI.com’s Albert Breer noted that could finally change.

“The reality is in L.A., it’s tough to gain a foothold if you’re not truly in the race every year,” Breer wrote. “And so, what the Chargers will be looking for is someone who can sell them on giving Herbert a shot every year, the way Joe Burrow or Patrick Mahomes or now Trevor Lawrence seem to have that shot every year.”

“You can argue they’re in the worst situation of any professional sports team.”

No history, no fan base, and now no head coach or GM.@BillSimmons and @TheCousinSal discuss the abysmal state of the L.A. Chargers: pic.twitter.com/JCU3yR6wtC
— The Ringer (@ringer) December 18, 2023

Breer mentioned New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh as two potential splashy hires the Chargers could consider.

To do that, team owner Dean Spanos would have to go against his reputation for being frugal — something the team is reportedly cognizant of — and open up the checkbook, much like the Denver Broncos did for Sean Payton last offseason.

“They’re planning to cast a wide net, though it could always narrow if there’s agreement on a target,” Breer added. “…The Chargers are sensitive to the idea they won’t spend, so I’d expect that they’ll show a willingness to go big-game hunting here if that’s where the search leads them.”

The Chargers have had just two 10-win seasons with only three playoff appearances and two playoff wins since 2010. The team has gone through four head coaches in that span (Norv Turner, Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn and Staley), none of which commanded salaries higher than what’s typically paid to first-year coaches.

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