Tag: Chargers Coaches

Doug Nussmeier officially named Chargers’ quarterbacks coach

Doug Nussmeier brings over 20 years of coaching experience into his new role as the Chargers’ quarterbacks coach.

The Chargers made several changes to their coaching staff on Monday, naming their new defensive coordinator, defensive quality control coach, and linebackers coach among other moves. But the only swap on the offensive side of the ball was Doug Nussmeier being tapped as the team’s next quarterbacks coach.

Nussmeier, a former NFL quarterback, was a fourth-round selection by the New Orleans Saints in the 1994 draft class. However, he found most of his success as a professional football player in Canada, where he was a Grey Cup champion with the BC Lions in 2000.

He has held various roles on coaching staffs in Canada, in the college ranks in the United States, and in the NFL since his playing days ended. Initially a quarterbacks coach for the BC Lions and Ottowa Renegades in the CFL in 2001 and 2002, Nussmeier eventually found his way to Michigan State in the same role in 2003 before landing his first gig as an NFL head coach with the St. Louis Rams in 2006.

Over the years, Nussmeier has held a variety of positions ranging from offensive coordinator to tight ends coach, and with his new position in Los Angeles should be primed to lend his exceptional experience to help bolster the Chargers’ offense in 2023.

Under his direction, quarterback Justin Herbert seems primed to take a step forward next season, and if the cards fall their way, Nussmeier could prove to be a key piece in Los Angeles’ quest to secure their first playoff win since 2018.

Two former Chargers coaches joining Sean Payton’s Broncos

Two former Chargers coaches are joining Sean Payton’s led Broncos.

The Chargers relieved former offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi last month. And now he’s on another staff, heading to Los Angeles’ AFC West rivals.

The Broncos are hiring Lombardi to join Sean Payton’s staff, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. His role is yet to be determined, but being Denver’s offensive coordinator is a possibility.

This will be Lombardi’s third assistant coaching stint with Payton. He had two previously with the Saints and now will follow him once more to be on his coaching staff.

The Chargers let go of Lombardi because, in his first season as OC, they were top 5 in offensive DVOA, but they declined to 19th in offensive DVOA this past season. Additionally, his offense wasn’t catering to the strengths of quarterback Justin Herbert.

Along with Lombardi, former linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite is also headed to the Broncos, where he will serve as the outside linebackers coach. Wilhoite spent two seasons with Payton in New Orleans, one as a special teams assistant and the other as a defensive assistant.

Chargers interview two candidates for defensive coordinator job

The Chargers have a void to fill with their defensive coordinator position left by Renaldo Hill.

The Chargers have a void to fill with their defensive coordinator position left by Renaldo Hill, who joined the Dolphins to be their passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach.

On Wednesday, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that Los Angeles interviewed Patriots defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington and the University of Houston defensive coordinator Doug Belk for the job.

Covington has been with New England since 2017 and has coached the team’s defensive line since 2020. He started as a coaching assistant for two seasons and coached the outside linebackers in 2019.

Belk has been with Houston since 2019. He entered the program as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2020 and became defensive coordinator in 2021. He’s previously worked for West Virginia, Alabama, and Valdosta State.

Initially, after it was announced that Hill was leaving for Miami, it was reported that the plan was for defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley to be promoted to the Chargers’ defensive coordinator. But it appears they are still doing their homework.

Chargers promote Derrick Ansley to defensive coordinator amid coaching changes to staff

The Chargers made a couple of changes in the coaching staff on Monday.

The Chargers made a couple of changes in the coaching staff on Monday.

Following the departure of Renaldo Hill, who the Dolphins hired as their pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach, Los Angeles promoted Derrick Ansley as the new defensive coordinator.

Additionally, Tom Donatell was promoted to secondary coach.

Ansley spent the past two seasons as the defensive backs coach. Before that, he spent two years (2019-20) as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at the University of Tennessee.

Donatell served as the Chargers’ assistant secondary coach for the past two seasons.

Former Chargers DC Renaldo Hill heading to Dolphins in new role

Renaldo Hill is headed to the Dolphins after two seasons with the Chargers.

The Chargers lost defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill to the Dolphins on Monday in a move that will see him take a role as the pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach for his new team.

Hill had been with the Chargers since 2021 and will be on his second stint in Miami, where he was previously the Dolphins’ assistant defensive backs coach in 2018.

In the 2022 season, Hill’s defense ranked 20th in raw yardage, 26th against the pass, and fifth in rushing. Their turnover percentage was 11.2 percent, good for just 17th in the league over the course of the year, and 14th in opponent scoring percentage at 37.2 percent. The unit ended the season with the 12th-best mark in points allowed.

Report: Chargers hire Robert Muschamp as quality control coach

A member of the back-to-back College Football Playoff champions is joining the Chargers.

A member of the back-to-back College Football Playoff champions is joining the Chargers.

Matt Zenitz of On3 reported Thursday that Los Angeles had hired Georgia analyst Robert Muschamp in a quality control role. Muschamp is the nephew of Bulldogs head coach Will Muschamp, who has led Georgia to national championships in each of the last two seasons.

Before joining his uncle at Georgia prior to the 2021 season, the younger Muschamp played tight end at Auburn from 2015-18, then was a graduate assistant coach at Tennessee from 2019-20. His staff bio page on Georgia’s website lists him as a defensive quality control coach, despite Zenitz reporting that he was an analyst.

Muschamp’s specific title with the Chargers is not yet known. It’s equally likely that he focuses on either side of the ball, given his experience playing as a tight end and coaching experience on the defensive side of the ball. Teams are increasingly hiring former offensive players to coach defense and vice versa to bring different perspectives to their staffs. He’s also an experienced special teams player and could be joining the staff to help Ryan Ficken.

The path Muschamp has taken through the SEC also means he’s familiar with a number of Chargers players and potential NFL Draft targets. Offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer overlapped with him at Georgia in 2021, while Muschamp and wide receiver Josh Palmer were both at Tennessee in 2019 and 2020. Muschamp also played with Auburn pass rusher Derick Hall and linebacker Owen Pappoe in 2018. While at Tennessee, he coached wide receivers Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt, linebackers Henry To’o To’o and Jeremy Banks, and offensive linemen Darnell Wright and Jerome Carvin. In Athens, he crossed paths with pass rusher Nolan Smith, tight end Darnell Washington, and offensive linemen Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon.

Whether those connections have any bearing on what the Chargers do in the draft is to be determined. Quality control coaches don’t have the same level of pull as a position coach or coordinator do, and tracing the history of every member on LA’s staff will inevitably draw connections between the Chargers and every player in the draft.

Report: Chargers hiring Doug Nussmeier as quarterbacks coach

The Chargers have found their new quarterbacks coach.

The Chargers are hiring Doug Nussmeier to be the team’s quarterbacks coach, according to ESPN’s Diana Russini.

Nussmeier reunites with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, as the two were previously on the Cowboys coaching staff in the same roles.

Nussmeier had been the Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach since 2020 after serving as the team’s tight ends coach for two seasons.

In Nussmeier three years overseeing Dallas’ quarterbacks, Dak Prescott set a team record in touchdown passes (37) and had five starters, including Cooper Rush, who went 4-1 in 2022.

Nussmeier has an extensive history of coaching at the college level. He was Florida’s offensive coordinator for three seasons before joining the Cowboys in 2018. Before that, he had offensive coordinator jobs at Michigan, Alabama, Washington State and Fresno State.

Nussmeier’s only other NFL coaching experience came in 2006 and 2007 when he was the quarterbacks coach of the Rams.

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.

Two more candidates requested to interview for Chargers’ offensive coordinator position

The Chargers have now requested to interview four candidates.

The Chargers requested to interview Titans tight ends coach Luke Steckel and Rams senior offensive assistant Greg Olson for their offensive coordinator position.

Steckel has been on the Titans staff since 2013 and spent the last two seasons as the tight ends coach. Before that, Steckel worked as an offensive assistant and assistant wide receivers coach. Before his days with Tennessee, he was an assistant to the head coach with the Browns for four seasons.

Olson joined the Rams after spending the last four seasons as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator. He’s also been an offensive coordinator for the Jaguars, Buccaneers, Rams, and Lions. Olson also has over two decades of experience as a quarterbacks coach.

Los Angeles has now requested to interview four candidates for their offensive coordinator vacancy, with the other two being Zac Robinson and Jerrod Johnson.

QB Justin Herbert will have input in Chargers’ next offensive coordinator

The Chargers need to find someone to unlock Justin Herbert’s full potential.

The Chargers will have a new offensive coordinator for the 2023 NFL season, and their star quarterback will have a say in who gets to call the plays.

On Thursday, general manager Tom Telesco spoke with the media at his end-of-season press conference, noting Herbert has earned that responsibility.

When asked what traits the team will be looking for in their next offensive coordinator, Telesco cited leadership, the ability to teach and communicate concepts in a simple manner, backgrounds, and who they’ve learned from.

Additionally, Telesco noted experience is not necessarily as important.

This season, the Chargers ranked near the bottom in every rushing offense category. But most notably, Justin Herbert finished 2022 with career lows in touchdowns and yards per attempt.

That is why it is imperative for Los Angeles to successfully find and bring in someone who will not only improve the run game but unlock Herbert’s full potential.