The San Diego Chargers will reportedly fire head coach Norv Turner at the end of the season. They are also likely to fire GM A.J. Smith according to a recent report. Â Read more after the jump.
The San Diego Chargers will have a new head coach next season, and they may have a new general manager as well. According to a report from the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chargers will fire Norv Turner at the end of the season. A.J. Smith, the team’s general manager, is likely to be out in San Diego as well according to the same report.
Turner and the Chargers have provoked ample discontent among their fan base after squandering a 4-1 start to the season. The Chargers have lost their last six games, including an overtime loss to the Broncos last week. That skid put them in the basement of what was once a wide open race for the AFC West.
This is Turner’s fifth season as head coach in San Diego. He led the team to the playoffs in his first three seasons.
Kevin Acee cites sources close to Chargers President Dean Spanos who say that Turner will be fired at season’s end. As for Smith, Spanos is said to be still wavering to some degree, with the source saying the odds are “72/25” that Smith is working elsewhere next season. If the Chargers can right the ship and win the division, both Turner and Smith may be able to salvage their jobs. That scenario seems unlikely with San Diego sitting three games behind the Raiders in the standings.
Both Smith and Turner could be considered for jobs elsewhere around the league next year. Acees includes some speculation about Smith and the Oakland Raiders. Head coach Hue Jackson assumed responsibilities for personnel decisions in the wake of Al Davis’ death.
As for Smith’s replacement, Acee speculates that current St. Louis Rams General Manager Billy Devaney is one option. Devaney spent a decade with the team, including a stint as director of player personnel, a position he held when the Chargers drafted Ryan Leaf.
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