Now Hiring: Chargers’ Coaching Candidates for the 2017 Season
Yes, we can all finally breathe a sigh of relief. The Mike McCoy era in San Diego has mercifully come to an end after four trying seasons.
Within an hour of the Chargers’ 11th defeat of the 2016 campaign (and McCoy’s 37th in four years with the Bolts), the organization released a statement that they would be relieving the embattled head coach of his duties and immediately commencing a search for the franchise’s next sideline guru.
The decision will force the Chargers into a front office frenzy led by general manager Tom Telesco and the Spanos ownership group (regrettably) in a race to sign the next hot coaching name in the sport, alongside the likes of organizations such as Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Denver, and San Francisco.
Pick the right guy, and the winter of 2017 becomes one to look back on with a smile as the team lifts the Vince Lombardi trophy aloft following the franchise’s first February win. Misstep, however, and the team returns to square one a few seasons from now desperately looking for the same answers that have plagued the team since the Schottenheimer days.
Given the shortcomings of vanilla hires in the past (I’m looking at you, Norv Turner and Mike McCoy) and the current state of the roster, the blueprint for what the Chargers should be looking for in a coach appears clear. On one hand, the team’s next hire should be someone focused on either the running game (to take advantage of the budding star that is Melvin Gordon) or the defensive side of the ball (to build on the likes of Bosa, Verrett, etc).
However, the Chargers’ next head coach should also be someone who comes with a bit of an edge and has both the discipline and intensity to handle a franchise that has grown far too lackluster and lethargic in recent years.
Before the NFL coaching carousel can start spinning then, here’s an early look at ten possible candidates to fill the Chargers’ now-vacant head coaching job as the team looks to move on from a depressing last-place finish to 2016.
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Noah is a current undergraduate at the University of San Diego. In addition to his classes as a Business Economics student, Noah serves as the scouting director for the nationally-ranked USD baseball team and as an NFL correspondent with The Mighty 1090. You can follow him on Twitter @thebackseatlamp
turn overs wear down a good defense,stop the turn overs then our defense will dominate and win games,
A fair point. Chargers tied for fourth in the NFL in takeaways in 2016, but finished 26th in turnover differential. Not a winning formula, for sure. Five of top six in that category now playoff-bound (KC, OAK, NE, ATL, GB).
Im just curious why the East Village Times is even writing about the Bolts…we all know how you folks feel over there so why do you even care?
Here at EVT, our job is to translate our passion for sports in America’s Finest City into quality and consistent coverage of the city’s athletic endeavors. Until the Chargers officially announce that they will be moving (if that ever even happens), the organization is still a part of the San Diego sports scene and therefore will be covered as such. We may have some disagreements with how the team has handled front office and public relations decisions in the past, but I guarantee that no one on this staff has turned their back on the Bolts. Here’s hoping they stay 🙂
I don’t make the same guarantee as Noah. Sadly, some have turned their back to the team. As have some in the fan base as well. The only one to blame is the team for how they have handled the situation. There have been, and there will be, brighter days for this franchise.
The San Diego Chargers are just that… The San Diego Chargers… We will cover them until further notice. Spanos has everyone waiting on him. I’m sure he is pleased with himself for the drama he has created. Now, will his bluff pay off? That is the question. Stay tuned and thanks for the support.
It sure has been interesting to be a Chargers fan during the Philip Rivers’ era. The first few years that Marty was the coach the team played out of their minds. Sadly, we let him go and the Chargers have never been the same. What makes the McCoy hire even tougher to swallow is Ron Rivera took the Panthers to the Super Bowl. I am not saying Rivera was the best defensive coordinator but I think the Chargers need a defensive guy as the coach.
I agree. Defense will definitely be this team’s strength in years to come, especially as Rivers starts to fade. Think it’s smart to cast a wide net initially and not limit organization to candidates based on experience on a certain side of the ball, but ultimately think that, given amount of young talent on Chargers’ D (Bosa, Verrett, Brown, etc.), it’d be smart to look to maximize that talent with a defensive-minded brain trust.