Surprised? I am, to a point. It's been noted for several years that Schottenheimer and Chargers' GM AJ Smith have had their problems getting along. However, when the Chargers extended his deal by one year, it seemed like they were willing to give him one last shot with a very talented team. Schottenheimer has had a long history of teams coming up short, and this season was no different with the 14-2 team clicking on all cylinders failing to win their first game in the playoffs.
It turns out that the rift grew bigger between Schottenheimer and Smith with the departure of the coordinators. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron left to become the head coach of the Dolphins, and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips left to become the head coach of the Cowboys. They were likely at odds over which coordinators they would hire, and logic indicates that Smith didn't want to deal with the headache anymore and decided to start fresh.
They have a franchise RB in Tomlinson, a great young QB in Rivers, talented receivers in Jackson and Gates, and a great offensive line. They also boast a very talented defensive unit that should return almost all of their starters, and even with MLB Donnie Edwards set to move on, they've developed two great backups in Stephen Cooper and Matt Wilhelm that will be ready to take over. Whoever takes this job will inherit a playoff-ready team that needs to get over the hump and capitalize on all their talent. They'll no doubt look for someone on the offensive side of the ball who can continue Phillip Rivers' ascension to the top QBs of the league, and they'll look for someone on the defensive side of the ball who has experience running a 3-4 scheme.
Pete Carroll has been mentioned as a candidate, and he'd offer up a good offensive mind that would bode well for both Tomlinson and Rivers. They'd likely have to find a defensive coordinator who can run the show himself at that point as Carroll has more of a history of explosive offenses, at least in the college ranks, than he does stout defenses.
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