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Report: Chargers to fire Norv Turner, A.J. Smith after season
Norv Turner will be fired after the Chargers missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. (Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
The Chargers plan to fire head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith at the end of the season, according to sources in a report from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Sources said this week that Chargers President Dean Spanos essentially decided at least a month ago that Turner’s time was drawing to a rapid close. Spanos, sources said, has more recently resigned himself to the fact that Smith can’t be kept in the current environment of plummeting performance and fan unrest.
Spanos is waiting until after the season, more because that is his preferred time to make such moves than due to any faith in the Chargers’ microscopic playoff chances.
The firing of Turner and Smith are not surprising.
Jon Gruden, Chip Kelly, Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid and David Shaw are expected to be considered to coach the Chargers.
The report taps Director of Player Personnel Jimmy Raye as Smith’s replacement. Raye, a 17-year employee of the Chargers, will add the owner’s son, John Spanos, as his right-hand man.
The younger Spanos, currently the team’s Director of College Scouting, has long been in line to take over the Chargers’ football operations, but the plan was for that to not happen until the expiration of Smith’s contract after the 2014 season.
The Chargers’ failure to make the playoff for the third consecutive season, and lack of success in the postseason — they made it to the AFC Championship just once, in 2007 — are behind the owner’s moves.
my take is Norv will be offensive coordinator in Dallas next year, and the Chargers will try to get a big name coach who has won in the post season, as for the team they need to build an O-line, and find a mobile QB that can take River's place at some point next season. the failings of the defense in the 4th quarter can mainly be blamed on the failure of the offence to move the ball.
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LikeGruden? Reid? Nah. The Chargers should just hire Rex, and then the Jets should hire Norv. Matches made in heaven!
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Likejolivera4304 Oh noes, the horror! You had me cracking up with that one!
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LikeReally what I think you have to wonder is if a GM would ever want this job if a guy that is well respected through the league for his acumen and never has a losing season gets canned, what hope would they have?
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LikeAaron14 AJ is not "well-respected", other GM's and team execs mock him as "The Lord of No Rings" and many, many GMs vehemently disagree with his cold-blooded treatment of veterans, e.g., LaDanian, which they believe is poisonous to team chemistry.
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LikeQpodadThat "Lord of no rings" comment came from one of VJs desperate and foolish agents that turned out to be wrong about everything else, not from any GM.
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LikeMarty was fired because he did not kiss AJ's butt, and AJ needs to go because no quality coach will work under him. I would prefer Gruden, Shaw, and Kelly, in that order. Gruden has a nice TV gig so I don't think he is a realistic choice. Maybe the Chargers will finally draft and O lineman in the draft. AJ did not value O linemen properly, an egregious failing given the out QB runs like he has lead shoes. AJ tried to use re-treads and free agents instead og highg draft picks, and that has ruined out offense (esp. run game) over the last 3 years. The last time AJ picked a O lineman in any of the first 3 rounds was 2009 (Vasquez) and the last pro-bowl caliber O lineman they picked was McNeil in 2006. looking forward to a change, finally!
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LikeQpodad
You mean re-treads and free agents on the offensive line like future HOFers that were undrafted free agents like Antonio Gates and Kris Dielman?
Will agree that offensive line was awful this year and it would be nice if Mathews improves his blocking so teams quite blitzing every time he is in the game. Otherwise he'll never realize his talent.
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LikeAaron14 I will give you Gates and Dielman, and also give AJ props for the Eli Manning trade. But again, any QB (especially an immobile one like Rivers) is only as good as his o line. AJ simply did not do well enough in this critical area via draft. I don't fault him for Brees leaving (with a busted throwing shoulder) nor for letting Michael Turner go. I DO think we should have kept Lorenzo Neal and Sproles and/or Tolbert for longer. Matthews is not as good a blocker as Sproles (who I can still picture taking on Ray Lewis on a blitz and winning a few years ago) or LT or Tolbert, and Matthews' production is way off what was expected from him. Our o line needs to improve, as Rivers is having about 2.0-2.5 seconds on most pass downs this year, and that is a recipe for interceptions, which is exactly what has happened. My real beef is that AJ is antagonistic and not opne to countervailing opinions, and no truly great coach would ever want to work under him. I hope we can turn the recent trend around and compete next year with Denver, which has become a top-8 team with Peyton. Go Bolts!
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LikeQpodadI think I agree with most all of that, but there's a salary cap. You can't keep all your good players when you draft well because of it.
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LikeCanning AJ when he has never had a losing season in the 10 years he has been GM is a bit heavy handed but I suppose this year could be his first losing season. But it's what the fans want and we all know the customer is always right, even when they are morons. Definitely a higher standard held in SD, but thats not neccessarily a bad thing. Both Norv and AJ will find the same job elsewhere. Yes, even Norv.
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LikeSchottenheimer is having a good laugh somewhere.
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LikeIf you are going to fire him, fire him now! Keeping a dead man as coach accomplishes nothing.
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LikeAJ Smith should have been fired years ago.
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LikeTurner is a decent offensive coordinator- but a bust as a head coach. He is more than lucky. He overstayed his welcome in Washington- before inheriting Schottenheimer's team and running it into the ground. If he had been black- he would be an afterthought about now. If he never coaches again- he should be set for life. Look for him in a broadcast booth where he belongs.
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LikeAfter Jerry runs Garrett after the season I would not be shocked to see Norv as OC under whatever train wreck Jerry hires next. StuartVPerry
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LikeStuartVPerry He's not black?
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LikeAbout time, it's the only chance of River's making it to the Super Bowl.
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LikeTry Marty Scottenheimer...14-2 and you get fired. Brilliant! Chargers got what they deserved for such a dumb move. Never a fan of his but really, 14-2!
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LikeThank God should've been happened loooooooooong ago!
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LikeIts about time... The only one listed I like is David Shaw, but don't know if his style will translate to the NFL...
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LikeLove Chucky, but I hope he doesn't coach the Chargers. The Tampa 2 defense is just so boring.
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LikeIt's Bush's fault!
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LikeKobe Romney's fault I think or maybe the 47% that pay. Could be both...
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LikeYou're about 5 seasons too late
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