Brandon Staley entered the 2023 season with something to prove as his team was coming off a blown 27-0 lead in the playoffs the year prior. With that loss firmly in the rear-view mirror, Staley entered the 2023 season with his seat as hot as possible.
It has been an up-and-down 2023 season for the Chargers with fans calling for a head coaching change for most of the year. After Week 11's loss to the Green Bay Packers, it feels like a guarantee that the Chargers will be looking for a new head coach after the season.
The Chargers have just a 14% chance of making the playoffs, per the NY Times, and that is Staley's only path to keeping his job. With that in mind, it is time to dive into the candidates to replace him, ranked from the least to most likely.
On the outside of the Chargers' coaching search:
- Kellen Moore, Chargers OC
- Brian Johnson, Eagles OC
- Lou Anarumo, Bengals DC
Kellen Moore is the name that instantly jumps off the page considering he is already with the team. Many fans would consider Moore a favorite to jump in as head coach, especially considering he may get head coaching looks elsewhere.
While there is obviously still a chance, the fact that the Chargers haven't moved on from Staley yet to give Moore a run as interim head coach might be revealing. If the Spanos family really thought Moore could be the next head coach then the move would have been made after this Packers game.
Brian Johnson is a sleeper candidate if the Chargers miss out on the premier offensive coaching candidates. Lou Anarumo is a hot name for the coaching cycle but the Bolts may not want to hire another defensive-minded coach with zero head coaching experience.
The extremely unlikely big-name Chargers candidate: Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick makes this list but he is easily the least likely of the five compelling candidates. Belichick being included in any form would have seemed asinine six months ago but a lot has changed as the 2023 season has gone along.
The New England Patriots have been downright awful and with Belichick struggling to succeed post-Tom Brady, there is a lot of speculation that Robert Kraft may want to move on after the season. As such, NFL pundits have circled the Chargers as a potential destination if that does happen.
First of all, it still seems very unlikely that the Patriots would move on from Belichick, regardless of how bad this season goes. Belichick reportedly agreed to an extension before the 2023 season. If the Patriots have a chance to get someone like Caleb Williams then ownership should want Belichick to be there to coach him.
Plus, even if Belichick and the Patriots do part ways it is really hard to see the notoriously cheap Spanos family forking over the money it would take. It seems far more likely for a team with new ownership, like the Washington Commanders, to make a bold hire like this.
It definitely is not impossible but Chargers fans should not be expecting Belichick to be Staley's eventual replacement.
The Brandon Staley 2.0 Chargers candidate: Dan Quinn
Unfortunately, we live in a world where Dan Quinn has to be considered a candidate to replace Brandon Staley as the Chargers head coach. Speculation about Quinn being a target started with NFL insider Benjamin Albright and where there is smoke, there is often fire.
Quinn has become a hot name in the coaching cycle as the Dallas Cowboys have had one of the best defenses in the sport since he showed up. While Quinn's tenure with Dallas is impressive, some guys are meant to be good coordinators and that is it.
Quinn was not great as a head coach his first time around as his Atlanta Falcons were carried by Kyle Shanahan's offense and had a top-10 defense just once in his tenure. Plus, Quinn had the worst loss in NFL history in the Super Bowl, which should naturally scare the Chargers.
All this being said, there definitely is a case to make for Quinn and it would not be totally surprising if the Chargers talked themselves into him. In theory, he could come in and coach alongside Kellen Moore (if the Chargers were retaining him) because of their experience together in Dallas.
Additionally, Moore has previous NFL head coaching experience and would not be another first-time head coach hire. The Chargers have sold themselves on a defensive-minded head coach before and unfortunately for the fans, we cannot rule out them doing it again.
The dark horse Chargers candidate that is more likely than you think: Frank Smith
Even if the Chargers make a change at general manager we have to remember who the ownership group is. The Spanos family has notoriously been cheap with head coaches and while that could change, it also could dictate who the team ultimately hires.
If Spanos is not willing to change his ways then the top-two options on this list won't be hired. Instead, the team would make another surprising hire like Frank Smith, who fans are familiar with already.
Smith was with the Chargers in 2021 as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator before he was elevated to offensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins. Smith was responsible for the best offensive line the Chargers have had in over a decade while also producing a run game that would make this current run game blush.
He has not been the main offensive mind in Miami, as that goes to Mike McDaniel, but he is a well-respected coach throughout the league that is going to get a chance sooner rather than later. Because of his familiarity with LA, as well as the fact that he would be cheap, Smith is a likely candidate for the Bolts.
Plus, while he coaches the offensive side of the ball, Smith would likely be more of a CEO-type head coach who doesn't call plays and leaves that to his coordinators. Because of that, Smith could be an option to hire specifically if the team wants to keep Kellen Moore around.
The more likely big-name Chargers candidate: Jim Harbaugh
Maybe we are being a bit too optimistic, but Jim Harbaugh seems like the second-most likely candidate to replace Brandon Staley next season. It would take ownership changing its ways and forking over a big contract but crazier things have happened.
After all, the Spanos family has committed $270 million to build a new practice facility and has not been shy in handing out big contracts in recent years. The value of the franchise has grown immensely since the move to Los Angeles, so maybe now an expensive head coach is possible.
Harbaugh's likely price tag keeps him from being the No. 1 candidate on this list but if the Chargers are willing to spend then he will likely be the hire. Harbaugh has been flirting with the NFL for years now as he is likely waiting for the perfect job to open.
The Chargers job would be the perfect job as he would not only get to coach Justin Herbert but would get to implement a completely new system assuming Telesco is also let go. There are very few dream jobs in the NFL and the Chargers job is one of them.
The Big 10 suspending Harbaugh may have made Harbaugh's mind up for him as well. He has accomplished just about everything possible with Michigan and it now may be time to move on.
Harbaugh is more likely than Sean Payton was last year for two reasons. First, the Chargers would not have to trade draft picks to hire him like the Denver Broncos did for Payton. Second, Harbaugh has previous ties to the organization as a former quarterback for the Bolts.
The home run, should be the favorite, Chargers candidate: Ben Johnson
Ben Johnson has to be considered the favorite to replace Brandon Staley as the head coach of the LA Chargers. Johnson is the name in the coaching cycle ahead of the 2024 season and he is everything that the Chargers could want in a head coach.
Johnson has piloted a truly special Lions offense that has completely reinvented the team and its quarterback, Jared Goff. If Johnson is doing the things he is doing with the Lions just imagine what he could do with Justin Herbert under center.
Johnson is going to be more expensive than other coordinator hires just because there will be several teams vying for his services. But compared to the likes of Harbaugh and Belichick, Johnson would be a cheap hire for the Bolts.
As far as Johnson himself goes, it makes practical sense for him to choose the Chargers job over any other job. While there is offensive talent on other potential openings, there is not a team in the league that can offer him a job like the Chargers' job (unless Buffalo fires Sean McDermott).
The only drawback of Johnson is that he would be a first-time head coach, which might scare some fans. However, the Chargers have made a trend of hiring first-time head coaches, so that might make him more likely to be hired.
Los Angeles would have to figure out what to do with Kellen Moore, and Johnson would have to bring in a solid defensive coordinator, but he still remains the most likely head coach candidate for the Bolts in 2024.