It's no secret the Los Angeles Chargers have fallen short their first two seasons under head coach Jim Harbaugh. They've suffered two embarrassing playoff losses, to the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots, and they've failed to provide Justin Herbert with the pieces he needs to vault the team into Super Bowl contention.
Harbaugh gave the team a strong signal that things need to change, however, by firing offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
Now the team has a series of important decisions to make with their coaching staff. With the departure of Jesse Minter to the Baltimore Ravens now confirmed, the importance of these choices has increased exponentially.
Yet the Chargers, so far this offseason, have done an excellent job of setting up their Super Bowl foundation. The task just needs to be completed.
The Chargers' coaching staff could soon be solidified
It was announced Tuesday night that the team was expected to hire former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, assuming he does not get a head coaching job. Minter's departure to the Ravens has eliminated him from one of the two jobs he was still in the running for.
McDaniel is the ideal choice to lead this offense. Under Roman, the team's offensive structure often felt stale and uncreative. While Roman implemented some complex schemes, he failed to fully maximize the talent he had available to him.
McDaniel, despite a rough finish to his time in Miami, has proved himself as a schematic dynamo as an offensive play-caller.
Moreover, McDaniel's arrival means Los Angeles has a serious shot to bring back Frank Smith as their offensive line coach. Smith left the Chargers to join McDaniel as his offensive coordinator in 2022.
With both McDaniel and Smith joining the staff, Los Angeles could see a major offensive resurgence in 2026.
Minter's departure is obviously a major concern. However, the Chargers have an obvious replacement. Steve Clinkscale, who is currently the team's defensive backs coach, has worked under Minter for four years now: two at Michigan and two in Los Angeles.
If anyone will be able to replicate Minter's scheme, it is Clinkscale.
Therefore, the Chargers can still complete a perfect sweep of the early offseason over the next couple of weeks. Their mixture of continuity and fresh ideas, under the staunch leadership of Harbaugh, would be everything the team could have asked for.
They must then replenish their roster through the draft and free agency, and this team could be well on their way to Super Bowl contention. This would be a stark turnaround from where they were at just two weeks ago.