ESPN's Len Pasquarelli is reporting that the San Diego Chargers are prepared to name San Francisco 49'ers Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner their new head coach, and the search for a defensive coordinator has begun with the experienced Ted Cottrell the front runner to get the gig.
I noted on MHR Radio last week that the Chargers really had no choice but to hire Turner with the state of the team currently. Turner was the OC in San Diego in 2001 so he at least has some knowledge of the environment, though his lack of success as an NFL head coach is well documented. The Chargers' window will only be open for so long and players are already getting frustrated with manangement's apparent inability to keep a damn good team together. The Chargers have won 23 games the past two seasons and still found it necessary to change their starting quarterback last season and their head coach after this season. Turner was the OC in San Diego in 2001 so he at least has some knowledge of the environment, though his lack of success as an NFL head coach is well documented.
LaDainian Tomlinson was best friends with Drew Brees and respected Marty Schottenheimer. He cannot be feeling good about the direction of the team and cannot be looking forward to a new system and a re-building of sorts. Oh, and Charger fans that were clamoring for Marty's ouster because he couldn't 'win the big game' better think twice about what they wish for. At least Marty got you to a few big games. Norv Turner hasn't smelled a big moment since he was an assistant in Dallas. Marty Schottenheimer has won 200 regular season games, Turner has won 10 games in a season once, and his overall record is 58-82-1. Charger fans should be mortified.
This can only be good news for us Broncos fans, watching every team in the AFC West deal with some sort of controversy. Meanwhile our Broncos are focused on one thing, getting ready for the 2007 season. I feel good about '07 already.
The other bit of news coming from the WWL is the seperation of the network from analyst, and soon to be Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. Irvin was awful, a lod moth just for the sake of being loud, controversial for the sake of stirring controversy, and was a ticking time bomb in my opinion. He walked a PR tight-rope the entire time he was on ESPN and many of his comments were borderline offensive.
ESPN's NFL coverage just got better today, and with so many great analysts on board, it was easy to see just how horrible the "play-maker" was. Good riddance.