Marty Fired!

[general counsel]

The chargers have fired marty according to espn. Possible successors include jimmy johnson, pete carroll, charlie weiss, bill cowher. I am sure martz would give his left nut for that job. This is the most talent a team has ever had with a head coach fired, my goodness, they went 14-2 last year before marty blew it in the playoffs.

Shocked that they waited this long, especially after cameron left.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[moklerman]

I bet the Chargers aren't too happy about losing Cameron already either. He would have been the perfect successor. You're right though, there will be a line around Chargers stadium of potential HC's wanting that job. Mike Martz was the first thing that popped in my head too but Norv Turner seems to be the choice that my brain is telling me will happen. Marty wasn't getting along with the GM so it's obvious who the sherrif in town is and Norv is mister buddy-buddy and will keep featuring LT. That's my early predicition.

[RealRam]

Wow. As I keep saying, it's a tough, t-o-u-g-h business!

I agree, there are already some coaches mouth watering this SD HC opportunity. As for Schottenheimer, his stock market value at this point will probably fall way down.

[r8rh8rmike]

The Chargers let Cameron go, THEN fire Marty?

[Varg6]

Originally Posted by r8rh8rmike

The Chargers let Cameron go, THEN fire Marty?

Yeah, shows how smart the Front Office is :P

Here's the whole story...SAN DIEGO -- Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer was fired Monday night in a shocking move by team president Dean Spanos, who cited a "dysfunctional situation" between the coach and general manager A.J. Smith.

The move was first reported by ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

Schottenheimer at a glance
Marty Schottenheimer
Born: September 23, 1943, Canonsburg, Pa. Experience: 21 years College: Pittsburgh
COACHING RECORD
Year Team Record Playoffs
2006 Chargers 14-2 0-1
2005 Chargers 9-7 --
2004 Chargers 12-4 0-1
2003 Chargers 4-12 --
2002 Chargers 8-8 --
2001 Redskins 8-8 --
1998 Chiefs 7-9 --
1997 Chiefs 13-3 0-1
1996 Chiefs 9-7 --
1995 Chiefs 13-3 0-1
1994 Chiefs 9-7 0-1
1993 Chiefs 11-5 2-1
1992 Chiefs 10-6 0-1
1991 Chiefs 10-6 1-1
1990 Chiefs 11-5 0-1
1989 Chiefs 8-7-1 --
1988 Browns 10-6 0-1
1987 Browns 10-5 1-1
1986 Browns 12-4 1-1
1985 Browns 8-8 0-1
1984 Browns 4-4 --
TOTALS 200-126-1 5-13

Less than a month after San Diego's NFL-best 14-2 season was wrecked in a playoff loss to New England, Spanos cited the exodus of both coordinators and other assistants in firing Schottenheimer, who had a year left on his contact.

"This decision was so hard because Marty has been both a friend and valued coach of our team," Spanos said in a statement. "But my first obligation is always to do what is in the best interest of our fans and the entire Charger organization. I must take whatever steps are necessary to deliver a Super Bowl trophy to San Diego. Events of the last month have now convinced me that it is not possible for our organization to function at a championship level under the current structure. On the contrary, and in the plainest possible language, we have a dysfunctional situation here. Today I am resolving that situation once and for all."

Mortensen reported that Spanos told Schottenheimer on Monday that it wasn't going to work between him and Smith.

When told the situation between Schottenheimer and Smith was described by Spanos as "dysfunctional," Schottenheimer said "that's a pretty accurate description."

"I enjoyed time with all the players and coaches there ... we made a hell of a lot of progress," Schottenheimer told ESPN's Mortensen. "We had one the best records in football over the past three years. We're leaving behind a good football team and a great bunch of guys. They can't take away what we accomplished."

As for Schottenheimer's relationship with Smith, Schottenheimer said: "I don't know why it was so bad. Everytime I tried to get an explanation of why there was such a bad reaction, he always had the same rebuttal ... he didn't want to talk about it."

Spanos indicated in the statement that the Chargers will pay Schottenheimer for the last year of his contract.

Three days after the Chargers' playoff meltdown Spanos decided that bringing Schottenheimer back for the final year of his contract gave San Diego its best chance to win.

"Our fans deserve to know what changed for me over the last month," Spanos said in the statement. "When I decided to move ahead with Marty Schottenheimer in mid-January, I did so with the expectation that the core of his fine coaching staff would remain intact. Unfortunately, that did not prove to be the case, and the process of dealing with these coaching changes convinced me that we simply could not move forward with such dysfunction between our head coach and general manager. In short, this entire process over the last month convinced me beyond any doubt that I had to act to change this untenable situation and create an environment where everyone at Charger Park would be pulling in the same direction and working at a championship level."

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was hired as head coach of the Cowboys on Thursday, following offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and two other assistants out of town for better jobs.

Although Schottenheimer said last week that change was inevitable, Smith sounded concerned, saying, "Both in the same year -- Wow."

Tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski became Cleveland's offensive coordinator, and linebackers coach Greg Manusky was hired as San Francisco's defensive coordinator.

Running backs coach Clarence Shelmon, who's never been a coordinator, was promoted to replace Cameron. Shelmon accepted only a one-year contract due to what had been Schottenheimer's lame-duck status.

Three days after the 24-21 playoff loss to New England, Schottenheimer declined the team's offer of a $4.5 million, one-year extension through 2008, which came with a club-option $1 million buyout. Spanos and Smith seemed visibly angry that the coach turned them down.

Schottenheimer has been at odds with Smith since the 2005 season, apparently over personnel decisions by the GM.

With a regular-season record of 200-126-1 with Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and San Diego, Schottenheimer is the most successful coach never to have reached the Super Bowl.

His 5-13 playoff record has taken on a life of its own. The loss to the Patriots was his sixth straight in the postseason dating to 1993, and the ninth time a Schottenheimer-coached team lost its opening playoff game. His teams have failed four times to capitalize on the home-field advantage that comes with owning the AFC's No. 1 seed.

He was 47-33 in five seasons with the Chargers, including 35 wins and two AFC West titles in the last three seasons.

Led by league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers were thought by many to be Super Bowl-caliber. But they had four turnovers and made numerous other mistakes in losing to the Patriots, their first defeat at home in the 2006 season.

Speculation grew following the loss that Schottenheimer might be fired, due in part to the front office's expectations of a deep playoff run and his icy relationship with Smith.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.




I was really surprised, it kind of sounds like an idiotic decision, although he is terrible in the playoffs I really think that it was a mistake to fire him...

[Nick]

In my opinion, you don't make this kind of move unless you've received confirmation from someone else that they're going to take the job. If the Chargers wanted to fire Marty for the sake of firing him, they would have done it sooner and replaced him with someone in house like Cameron of Phillips.

The fact that they waited this long (combined with the fact that they offered him an extension) makes me think they were okay with the idea of another year of Schott, but I suspect they were courting someone else, perhaps after Marty turned down their extension, and just recently got a thumbs up from them.

I wouldn't expect this job to be open long.

[moklerman]

Applying that line of thinking Nick, do you consider the OC from Indy or maybe the DC from Chicago as dark horse candidates? It would seem that if the Chargers were waiting on something or courting someone unofficially that it would be a Super Bowl participant, wouldn't it?

[laram0]

Maybe the Chargers are fishing? "The BIG TUNA" ?

[BernieM]

Originally Posted by general counsel

The chargers have fired marty

I will be breaking this story next week.

[laram0]

Originally Posted by BernieM

I will be breaking this story next week.

Yeah, better late than never???:x

[RAMFANRAIDERHATER]

Originally Posted by Nick

In my opinion, you don't make this kind of move unless you've received confirmation from someone else that they're going to take the job. If the Chargers wanted to fire Marty for the sake of firing him, they would have done it sooner and replaced him with someone in house like Cameron of Phillips.

The fact that they waited this long (combined with the fact that they offered him an extension) makes me think they were okay with the idea of another year of Schott, but I suspect they were courting someone else, perhaps after Marty turned down their extension, and just recently got a thumbs up from them.

I wouldn't expect this job to be open long.

I agree Nick. If Pete Carroll was truely interested in the Miami job, this opening has got to be looked at. It's as perfect a situation for an HC to step in as you'll ever find. The new HC wil inherit a great, young team, in the best area of the country. It's only an hour and a half drive from LA, and Pete being a west-coast guy, this has got to be too good to pass up. He can bring his USC staff with him to fill the void at the coodinator positions. It's a win-win for Pete. He's through the recruiting process for this year (hit another home run) and would be leaving the Trojans in great shape (heavy favorites to win the national title, again) so it'll be easier for the Trojans to find a replacement. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by moklerman

Applying that line of thinking Nick, do you consider the OC from Indy or maybe the DC from Chicago as dark horse candidates? It would seem that if the Chargers were waiting on something or courting someone unofficially that it would be a Super Bowl participant, wouldn't it?

Rivera is a potential candidate. I don't see Tom Moore leaving Indy any time soon. The names I'm hearing the most about are Pete Carroll and Norv Turner. Personally though if you're going to consider Norv Turner, I don't know how you don't consider Mike Martz. I'd take Mike as a head coach before I'd take Norv any day.


Here's some interesting notes from a local SD article on what led to Marty's release, basically details the situation in regards to GM A.J. Smith and team president Dean Spanos...

Smith made it clear in December that he largely credited offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips with the Chargers' success.

Spanos and Smith said Jan. 17 when they announced the decision to retain Schottenheimer for a sixth year that they did so to maintain continuity after a season in which the Chargers had the league's best record.

That continuity was shattered, however, as both coordinators left for head coaching jobs – Cameron in Miami, Phillips in Dallas – and two of the team's position coaches became coordinators elsewhere as well.

The front-office tension built over the past few weeks, sources said, as Smith and Spanos disagreed with Schottenheimer's decision to allow linebackers coach Greg Manusky, tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski and assistant strength and conditioning coach Matt Schiotz to interview elsewhere. All three eventually took other jobs.

But, according to sources, the final straw occurred yesterday when Schottenheimer wanted to interview his brother Kurt for the defensive coordinator position. Spanos and Smith did not approve, but Schottenheimer held firm in asserting that he had the right to hire his own staff.

After that early afternoon meeting, Spanos returned to the Chargers' offices shortly before 5 p.m. and told Schottenheimer he was dismissing him.

[RealRam]

...I'd take Mike as a head coach before I'd take Norv any day. -- Nick

Absolutely! Bring back the 'Air Coryell' days to SD.

[RAMMAN68]

This is from ESPN.com;

Jim Haslett, defensive coordinator, St. Louis Rams: A.J. Smith was in the Bills' organization during their top years. Haslett was a longtime Buffalo player and had great respect within the organization. Haslett isn't as married to the 4-3 defense as other coaches who might be interviewed. He ran the 3-4 when he coordinated the Steelers defense and played in the 3-4.

Hass is considered second next to Rivera. I seriously doubt he would be their choice, but if he does leave, who do we replace him with?
Do we out bid the Bear and go for Rivera who's contract is up at the end of the month? Or do we pull a coup and offer Singletary a shot at moving up a level and striking a blow to the *****.

[RAMMAN68]

I almost forgot, last on the list is:

Mike Martz, offensive coordinator, Detroit Lions: Martz has one of the best offensive minds in football. He'd love to move to the west coast and would love to get the chance to work with Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson

This move would not surprise me at all, except that I don't think Smith would like Marmalade brought on as DC.