Tag: Chargers coach

Chargers’ Kellen Moore very eager to work with Justin Herbert

The Chargers are banking on Kellen Moore to unlock Justin Herbert’s full potential.

While searching for their new offensive coordinator, the Chargers’ main priority was finding someone who would be able to get the most out of quarterback Justin Herbert. And it is Kellen More who they are banking on.

Moore heaped high praise on Herbert at his introductory media availability, highlighting what he’s seen from him on the field.

“Justin, we know the physical talent,” Moore said about Herbert. “He obviously does a tremendous job.

I think it’s been really cool to watch him, from a fundamental perspective, as he’s gone from Oregon into the NFL and transitioned, and started playing under center — he has done such a phenomenal job of that — and the play-action game, the movement game. We know his ability to throw it down the field.”

Herbert has been nothing short of outstanding in his first three seasons with the Chargers, throwing for 14,089 yards, 94 touchdowns and 35 interceptions and shattering various records along the way.

However, Herbert has yet to fully unlock what makes him such a great player: his immense arm strength and talent.

This season, Herbert dealt with fractured rib cartilage and other key players on the offense had their respective injuries, and they did not have a speed option, which limited him from uncorking it.

Still, former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s system was bland and kept most of Herbert’s throws short and underneath. And the Chargers are hopeful Moore’s offense will do wonders for Herbert.

The middle to deep passing game should improve. While Moore was the Cowboys offensive coordinator, they had the seventh-highest average depth of target in the NFL (8.3 air yards per attempt).

Additionally, on the move is when Herbert is at his best. And Moore utilized a lot of quarterback movement. In 2019, 2021 and 2022, Dak Prescott had the ninth-most dropbacks where he was rolling right or left or scrambling right or left to throw.

Moore will also be responsible for fixing one of the least efficient rushing offenses of this past season. But his bigger responsibility will be putting the Chargers’ most valuable player in a position to succeed.

“I’m just really, really excited to be able to work with him and, hopefully, help him in some way as he continues to build the career that he is going to have,” Moore said.

Report: Chargers request to interview Joe Brady for offensive coordinator vacancy

The Chargers’ offensive coordinator interview list is now up to six.

The Chargers continue their search to find their next offensive coordinator, as they have requested to interview Bills quarterbacks coach Joe Brady, according to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo.

Brady brings plenty of offensive firepower to the table, having worked under Sean Payton in New Orleans as an offensive assistant in 2017 and 2018.

Brady brought that knowledge to Baton Rouge as LSU’s passing-game coordinator. He helped Joe Burrow become the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft and was one of the masterminds behind the 2019 LSU offense, considered one of the greatest offenses in college football history.

He was rewarded by making the leap to the NFL, where he became the offensive coordinator for the Panthers briefly in 2020 before an apparent falling out with then-head coach Matt Rhule in his second season.

Report: Chargers interviewing Browns assistant Jeff Howard for linebackers coach vacancy

The Chargers begin their search for their new linebackers coach.

The Chargers are interviewing Browns assistant coach Jeff Howard for their linebackers coach position, according to ESPN’s Jake Trotter.

This comes a day after Los Angeles fired Michael Wilhoite from that role. Wilhoite spent the past two seasons as the Chargers’ linebackers coach.

Howard spent seven seasons with the Vikings from 2013 to 2019, serving as an assistant to the head coach, a defensive assistant, and an assistant defensive backs coach in his final two seasons.

Howard worked with the likes of safeties Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith, and cornerback Xavier Rhodes and linebacker Anthony Barr during his time with Minnesota.

Howard followed Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski to Cleveland, where he’s been their passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach.

In his first season, he helped their defense rank among the league leaders in takeaways. In Year 2, the Browns finished the 2021 season fifth in the NFL in total defense. In his third season, Cleveland finished fifth in passing defense.

What Chargers HC Brandon Staley said at end-of-season press conference

Highlighting what Chargers HC Brandon Staley said at his end-of-season press conference.

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley spoke to the media to express how he felt about the 2022 season, his feelings after parting ways with Joe Lombardi and what he’s looking for in the team’s next offensive coordinator.

Here are some notable things that Staley said on Wednesday:

Chargers fire linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite

A third Chargers assistant coach was fired on Tuesday.

A third Chargers assistant coach has been fired on an eventful Tuesday for the team.

After offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Shane Day were let go this morning, linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite had also been fired by the team.

The 36-year-old Wilhoite joined Brandon Staley’s initial staff in Los Angeles to open the 2021 season after two years as an assistant in New Orleans – with the special teams in 2019 and with the defense in 2020. Prior to coaching, Wilhoite spent six seasons as an NFL linebacker with the 49ers and Seahawks from 2012-17.

Under Wilhoite’s tutelage, former Charger Kyzir White engineered a breakout season in 2021, with 144 total tackles. Drue Tranquill followed that breakout in 2022 with 146 total tackles in a stellar season that likely has earned him a contract extension. But two correlated factors likely led to Wilhoite’s departure.

When he was drafted 23rd overall in 2020, Kenneth Murray Jr. was billed as a hyper-athletic linebacker with sideline-to-sideline range that just needed to reign in his instincts. As a former NFL linebacker, who better to coax Murray into his full potential than Wilhoite? But Murray hasn’t taken that next step forward yet. It’s contributed to one of the worst run defenses in the league over the last two seasons, as Murray and other second-level defenders have consistently fit the run poorly.

The fact that the run defense failed to improve in 2022 after the investments the Chargers made on the defensive line is perhaps the most emblematic of this issue. Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson, Khalil Mack, Morgan Fox, and a larger role for Breiden Fehoko all contributed to an improved defensive line that found a way to stuff runs at the line of scrimmage at a much higher rate than the 2021 squad did. But when the line faltered, the linebackers frequently did not have their back, leading to the long runs that became a painfully integral part of watching the Chargers’ defense this season.

There are plenty of questions about the linebacker room heading into 2023. Tranquill, as mentioned, will need a contract extension. Murray has a fifth-year option to decide on. Kyle Van Noy could play more off-ball linebacker with Joey Bosa fully healthy on the edge. But those are questions for the next man up to answer.

Former Chargers coach Anthony Lynn releases statement

Anthony Lynn made his first public comments since being let go of by the Chargers.

Former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn made his first public comments since being fired on Monday after four years at the helm.

Lynn released a statement, which was released via the team’s official Twitter account. He expressed gratitude to the players and staff, writing that “I’m grateful to our staff, coaches, players and everyone in the community who has been so supportive throughout my time with the organization.”

Below is the full statement:

In addition, the team released a heartfelt video montage to pay homage to Lynn.

Lynn finished with a 33-31 regular-season record during his time with the Chargers, winning 12 games in 2018. Los Angeles went 1-1 in postseason play.

L.A. has been steadily requesting interviews with candidates, as they are on the hunt to find his replacement.

Why Chargers should interview Matt Campbell for head coach job

If the Chargers want to step outside of the NFL, the Iowa State head coach is worthy of an interview.

The Chargers are approaching the double-digit mark of requested interviews for the head coaching vacancy.

For the most part, all of the candidates are coordinators in the NFL. However, there’s a proven college coach who is worthy of receiving a phone call for an interview with Los Angeles, with that being Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell.

Campbell was successful at Toledo, going 35-15 in five seasons. He took over Iowa State in 2016 and built the Cyclones into a threat over a five-year span. He guided the team to an 8-2 regular-season record in 2020 (most in the program), including a win over Oklahoma and a ranking as high as No. 6 before beating the No. 5 Oregon Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl just days ago.

How a college coach will adjust to the NFL always makes some pause. There’s no question that Campbell knows how to build a program and a winning culture, which already makes him a good candidate. Matt Rhule left Baylor for the Panthers, where he brought reason to be optimistic in his first season.

Schematically for L.A., Campbell would be able to tailor-make an offense around quarterback Justin Herbert. Defensively, the Cyclones’ current defensive coordinator Jon Heacock would also make a ton of sense for the position with the Bolts, according to Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield.

Assuming that Heacock doesn’t take over as head coach, should Campbell make the leap, his “forward-thinking defensive schemes could be just what the NFL needs in 2021 and beyond,” Schofield notes.

Overall, I believe Campbell has all the tools as a leader and play-caller to excel at the next level and he should be in serious consideration for the Chargers’ head coaching job.

Building the perfect Chargers coaching staff

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out how Los Angeles should construct the coaching staff.

Atop of the priority list for the Chargers is finding their new head coach after parting ways with Anthony Lynn on Monday.

While the head coach is the most pressing matter, filling in the coordinator positions comes next.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Lynn’s staff hasn’t been fired yet. But when a new head coach comes in, the chances of that guy wanting to build his staff from scratch are high.

With that being said, I wanted to construct a coaching staff that I believe can get Los Angeles back in tiptop shape and is capable of dethroning Andy Reid’s Chiefs.

Head Coach — Brian Daboll

The Chargers have a gem in quarterback Justin Herbert, and one of the requirements to become the next head coach is being capable of implementing a system that will maximize his potential.

Daboll has spent the last three years helping to develop Bills quarterback Josh Allen and that work has gone well enough to make him into one of the top quarterbacks in the league and an MVP candidate.

Daboll has had so much success because of how good of a play-caller he is. Teams across the league struggle to defend Buffalo because he seems to have his own adjustments and options built in for different coverages at the ready.

General manager Tom Telesco will be aiding in the search for the team’s next coach and familiarity is a key component. He’s a St. Francis High School graduate from western New York, as is Daboll.

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Chargers’ Gus Bradley not thinking about future as job status looms

Gus Bradley’s job could also be on the line.

We will know what the future holds for head coach Anthony Lynn in the coming days. But others on the staff could be on the chopping block if Lynn is on his way out, including defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.

Asked about his future at Thursday’s media availability, Bradley was noncommittal, saying that he tries not to think about whether he’s back with the team next year.

However, Bradly said he’s excited to see what a healthy Chargers team can do: “I think the future is very bright for this defense.”

Los Angeles has played this entire season without key defenders like safety Derwin James and linebacker Drue Tranquill. Along the way, injuries hindered others edge defenders Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram and cornerbacks Chris Harris Jr. and Casey Hayward.

Hired back in 2017, the same year that Lynn was brought on, Bradley was coveted for his revelation of the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom,” a defense that wreaked havoc in the league.

Under Bradley, Los Angeles has ranked among the best defenses in the league, statistically. However, opposing offenses have figured out how to exploit his notorious Cover 3 scheme, especially in crucial moments of games.

L.A. has struggled to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback as well as create turnovers the past two years.

Chargers HC Anthony Lynn not concerned about job status

Days from now, we will know the fate of coach Anthony Lynn.

The fate of coach Anthony Lynn will be decided in just a few days.

Despite winning the last three games, question still remains whether Los Angeles will elect to fire Lynn after the season finale against the Chiefs.

The question of his job security came up at Wednesday’s media availability.

“I am not concerned about that. I am concerned about Kansas City,” Lynn said.

Lynn added that he has not received indication if he will be back as the head coach in 2021 by the Spanos Family.

After going 9-7 and 12-4 in his first two season, the last two seasons have been a downward spiral for Lynn. L.A. finished 5-11 last season and are going to finish under .500 this year.

Injuries are a reason to blame for their underwhelming seasons, but Lynn’s own decisions have held the team back. Multiple poor game management decisions and questionable play calls have negatively impacted the Bolts.

The Chargers have blown a handful of leads and have had a copious amount of critical errors in vital situations in games.

Lynn has made it clear how he coaches games. I am a firm believer that it won’t be resolved, given how long it’s been going on for, even in their most recent victories.

If the upper management decides to keep him beyond this season, their reasoning could be despite the outcome of the season, Lynn was a part of the development of frontrunner Offensive Rookie of the Year, Justin Herbert, and changing coaches might hinder his rapid growth.

“Coach Lynn’s been awesome,” Herbert said. “Him and I, we’ve gotten really close over these past couple of months. He’s always out on the field and whether he’s helping the running backs, the offensive line, the quarterbacks — he’s been doing a great job of stepping into our meetings and telling us exactly what he wants and how he wants it done. He’s a leader and this team follows him and I really believe in him.”