Chargers add surprising (and underwhelming) OC candidate with Jim Harbaugh ties

During their ongoing search to find a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Greg Roman following their embarrassing wild-card loss to the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Chargers have reportedly either met with or have plans to meet with a number of high-profile candidates, a list that includes Mike McDaniel, Brian Daboll, Brian Callahan, Arthur Smith, Marcus Brady, Thomas Brown, and Shane Day.

But on Monday, a lesser-known name was added to the mix, as the Bolts announced that they'd completed an interview with Drew Terrell.

Now, if you're unfamiliar with the 34-year-old, who currently serves as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Arizona Cardinals, you're undoubtedly not alone, as he's not a household name by any stretch of the imagination.

But one person who certainly knows him well is Jim Harbaugh.

Drew Terrell played for Jim Harbaugh at Stanford and was also on his staff at Michigan

Rated as one of the top 50 wide receivers coming out of Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona, Terrell played four seasons at Stanford (mostly as a punt returner), the first two of which were under Harbaugh in 2009 and 2010 before Harbaugh jumped to the NFL to become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

Terrell began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech in 2014 and then spent three seasons (2015-2017) on Harbaugh's staff at the University of Michigan, working mostly with the Wolverines' wide receivers and cornerbacks.

The Mesa native then made his own jump to the NFL in 2018, joining the Carolina Panthers as an offensive quality control coach under Ron Rivera, serving in that role for two years before following Rivera to the team now known as the Washington Commanders in 2020.

Terrell spent his first season with Washington as an assistant wide receivers coach and the next two as the lead wide receivers coach before he was relieved of his duties following the 2022 campaign, at which point he joined the Cardinals in the aforementioned dual role of passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.

While Arizona obviously didn't have the greatest season in 2025, going just 3-14, it's interesting to note that the Cardinals ranked seventh in the NFL in passing, earning a highly respectable 232.6 yards per game. And that was with Jacoby Brissett starting a dozen games, which is perhaps why offensive coordinator Drew Petzing was just hired in the same role with the Detroit Lions.

Admittedly, Terrell's overall resume is a bit underwhelming. But if the Lions can make such a surprising hire, perhaps the Chargers might be inclined to do the same.