and now we have Mangini trying to turn a team (that has 4-3 personnel) into a 3-4 defense. Another disaster from the start.
I'd take that bet. AJ Smith might get fired, but I have to believe Norv will get more than one season.
But from that angle we at least have a coach to teach what we want to play. When we had Ted Cottrel trying to run the cover 2 that Herm wanted he didnt know how to coach it cuase he knows the 3-4.
AJ Smith is probably updating his resume. You couldn't find a more poor coaching staff. Cotrell was miscredited largely for the excellent Wade Phillips defenses. Since they've parted, Cotrell has failed while Phillips has flourished. -X-
I don't see why this is such a bad hiring. San Fran's offense was one of the main reasons they were a surprise team this year and the talent positions of SF are even better on San Diego. Rivers is better than Smith, Tomilson better than Gore and Gates better than Vernon Davis. The team is loaded with talent and have a coach that knows how to use it.
I don't really see the big upside for Turner as a head coach, but the hiring doesn't really surprise me, since I think that they were only going to hire someone who already had head coaching experience. AJ Smith couldn't afford to have a nobody supervise the inevitable drop in record that will happen (which would have happened under Marty, too - teams don't repeat from 14-2 records).
because the Chargers didn't hire Turner to be the OC like he was in San Fran, they hired him to be the head coach. Turner has shown he is a good OC but bad Head Coach, so attempting to correlate his success as a OC into him being a good Head Coach is making the same mistake the Redskins and Raiders already made and had the smarts to correct by getting rid of him.
Really? He ran a shitty 4-3 cover 2 in both New York and Minnesota, where did he run this 3-4 defense?
with the bills under wade phillips. when we hired him in NY it was considered a pretty big deal. but its been covered earlier, 3-4 coach, forced into 4-3 systems continually. his track record since BUF is sad, but it will be his first return to coaching the 3-4 so who knows.
Nah, he has another couple of seasons based on the talent he's brought on board in his tenure. I agree with you that the Schottenheimer fiasco will probably be what everybody mentions when he gets fired in 2009 though. Chargers look like 9-7 best case to me next season and worse the season after when LT finally slows down.
The problem with this idea is that Norv Turner's head coaching experience is largely bad. He's under-achieved everywhere he's been and to hire him to come in and coach the Chargers is just asking for the inevitable downturn to become a LOT steeper. A month ago they could have handed this team to Cam Cameron and waltzed to 11 wins. Now they'll be lucky to get 9.
