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LA Chargers: Pros and cons of hiring Brian Daboll as head coach

By Alexander Insdorf

ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 16: Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll walks on the field before the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Chargers at New Era Field on September 16, 2018 in Orchard Park, New York. Los Angeles defeats Buffalo 31-20. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 16: Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll walks on the field before the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Chargers at New Era Field on September 16, 2018 in Orchard Park, New York. Los Angeles defeats Buffalo 31-20. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by NFL via Getty Images)
(Photo by NFL via Getty Images) /

Con of Brian Daboll coaching the LA Chargers: Previous failures in coaching

I’m as shocked as you are. Daboll used to walk around looking like Fred Durst prior to growing the beard.

In all seriousness, some people do ask about Daboll’s previous NFL stints. While I wouldn’t go as far as to call Daboll a one-hit-wonder, his last two years in Cleveland before Eric Mangini got fired. He also had one-year stints in Miami and Kansas City.

How did he do in his tenures as offensive coordinator prior to Buffalo? Daboll’s offenses averaged 27th in the league in his four seasons as an OC. Even when considering the dearth of talent on those teams, that’s obviously not a good number.

In his defense, Daboll did coach on teams that failed for reasons outside of his offensive woes. Mangini had much larger football issues that got him canned in Cleveland. With Tony Sparano and Romeo Crennel, Daboll joined two sinking ships that couldn’t be saved.

Despite flunking out of a coordinator role, Daboll stayed the course as a tight ends coach for four years in New England until he got an offer to become Alabama’s offensive coordinator in 2017. After his work there, he would eventually get back to being an offensive coordinator in Buffalo the following year.

Daboll deserved a second chance as a coordinator in the league and worked hard at it. At the same time, if we’re giving him some credit for Allen’s success, we do have to talk about an inability to develop quarterbacks and offensive talent previously. Colt McCoy was a decent prospect that Daboll couldn’t succeed with in Cleveland.

In other words-it’s OK to think he’s improved while being scared of the red flags at previous coaching stops.

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