Is it experience the Los Angeles Chargers now seek for their open head coach position? Or is the “E” word not mandatory when leading QB Justin Herbert, WR Keenan Allen, and company?
Speaking for the first time since firing Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco as head coach and general manager, respectively, Chargers team president John Spanos outlined to the L.A. media what he and the organization are seeking in a new head coach.
While many across the league believe L.A. needs to make a home-run-type hire by nabbing Jim Harbaugh out of Michigan, Spanos gave clarity on what he and the team are really searching for.
Chargers’ John Spanos Addresses If Team Wants “Experience”
Spanos began by casting blame on the area he feels is responsible for the Chargers’ fall — his area of expertise ownership.
“In my opinion, everything starts with ownership, so I think ultimately we’re responsible for everything,” Spanos said.
But in addressing what the Chargers are now requiring for Staley’s replacement, experience is a necessity — but not a top requirement.
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“I do think there’s value in previous head coach experience,” Spanos said. “We all recognize that it helps having been through it before. I don’t think it can be the end-all, be-all in not looking at anyone but experienced coaches. But, absolutely, we’ll factor in that. That’s an added bonus.”
Spanos further added, “Right now, to decisively say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to any candidate would be a big mistake. I’m not going to limit the search in any way.”
This rhetoric paints the picture of what the interview room will look like for prospective candidates. Applicants can be someone with a head coaching past, but it’s not limited to just that category.
Looking Back at Past Chargers Hires
If it’s a past head coach Spanos and Co. pivot towards, history will be on the side of the Chargers.
In tracing back to Los Angeles’ last three head coaching hires, all three were past assistants who became appealing as a head coach.
Staley had produced the NFL’s top defense for the neighboring Los Angeles Rams before attracting the Chargers in their 2021 search. Staley went from DC to head coach.
His predecessor, Anthony Lynn, was another assistant-to-HC hire, as Lynn was the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator before the Chargers lured him in ahead of the 2017 season.
Even tracing back to 2012, Mike McCoy established himself as a fast-rising offensive whiz as OC of the Denver Broncos. He eventually took the head coaching reins in 2013 during a time when the Chargers were in San Diego.
What do all three have in common? They became part of a trend of the “Bolts” giving coordinators their first head coaching try.
However, here’s why there are Chargers fans who hope for a past head coach. L.A. was most successful with a previous head coach.
Norv Turner, formerly of the Washington Commanders and Oakland Raiders, took the Chargers to three playoff appearances, including the AFC title game of the 2007 season.
Before Turner, the late Marty Schottenheimer produced two division crowns and guided the Chargers to their most regular-season wins (14) in team history in 2006. Schottenheimer guided the Chargers after two past head coaching stops with the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns.
Spanos Shares What He’s Learned From the Past
Spanos and the Chargers face a critical time in their franchise. The replacement for Staley will have an abundance of talent to work with from a Pro Bowl quarterback, Pro Bowl wideout, and the NFL’s leader in sacks — to name a few.
He’ll need to guide a franchise playing in the league’s second-biggest TV market and help fill the 70,240-seat SoFi Stadium.
Spanos admitted he and the Chargers’ own mistakes — the kind he believes they can use as a lesson.
“I think sometimes, it’s maybe the misses that help you grow the most — that you can learn from the most,” Spanos said. “And I think we always have to be pushing ourselves as an ownership to get better, to be better.”
That includes owning up to the last two HC decisions he helped make.
“When I looked at these last two hires, we did some good things,” Spanos said. “We didn’t get where we ultimately wanted to go, but I know that we’re all going to learn from it, and we’re going to do even better the next time. The commitment to winning and the commitment to do whatever it takes to get there is as strong as it’s ever been and really will not waiver.”
Until then, Giff Smith will navigate the Chargers during this transition period. He gets the daunting task of preparing his team for the Bills, Chiefs, and Broncos — three teams all vying for a playoff seed.
Spanos, though, believes it will be “business as usual” for the Chargers before they find their next leader.
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