Chargers Head Coaching Search: Rob Chudzinski
By Ernie Padaon
Our head coaching candidates list can’t stop at the names Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden OR Jeff Fisher. Today we will check out one of the hot young coordinators in the league: Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.
His name should sound familiar to Chargers fans, Chud held a coaching position here with the Bolts before Ron Rivera and the Carolina Panthers stole him away. He has helped groom rookie quarterback Cam Newton into a pretty good quarterback and the Carolina offense is finding ways to move that ball down the field. Steve Smith has resurrected his career with Chud at the helm.
“We don’t care how we move the ball. We could run a hundred times, we could pass a hundred times. We just want to get the ball in the end zone and move the football. I’m not going to say we’re going to score 60 points a game, but we’re sure going to try,” was a statement made by Chudzinski prior to Carolina’s first preseason game in August. – Phinsider.com
Chud uses the talent that he has available to him and puts them in positions in which they can succeed. He understands his players and uses them to the best of their abilities. With Carolina, he has opened up the field for Cam so that he can take advantage of his ability to scramble. Chud is not locked into a certain offensive style, he just wants to move the ball down the field.
We need that type of understanding of the roster on our side. We let Darren Sproles leave in free agency because Sproles didn’t look like he had anything left in the tank, but when he got to New Orleans, we see that we were just using him wrong. We can’t afford to let talent to be wasted.
Chud started out his coaching career with the University of Miami in 1994. In 2001 he was promoted as Offensive Coordinator and led the Hurricanes to their highest scoring output in history. He then topped that number the following year.
Chud then picked up a job in the NFL working with the Cleveland Browns. Remember a few years back when the Browns had QB Derek Anderson play out of his mind and make it to the Pro Bowl. The Browns went 10-6 that season and won the AFC North. Guess who the offensive coordinator on that team was? Chud.
Chud already knows the talent on the Chargers roster and the players already are familiar with him. If we are going to bring in an offensive mind to coach this team, he should be sitting at the top of the list. He will be the head coach of some team very soon and it could be here in San Diego.