The biggest coaching vacancy that the LA Chargers have to fill this offseason is the offensive coordinator position. With Brandon Staley retaining his job after the 27-0 blown lead in the Wild Card Round, the next fall guy to get the ax was offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.
Lombardi is not the only coach that needs to be replaced this offseason. Passing game coordinator/QBs coach Shane Day also has to be replaced, as does linebackers coach Michael Wilhoite.
There could be more changes on the way, especially is coaches that have ties to the Chargers become available. Brandon Staley showed last offseason that he is not afraid to make a coaching change that he views as an improvement, so anything is possible this offseason.
Los Angeles may have just received a new coaching candidate to hire this offseason with Ed Donatell becoming available. Donatell was fired by the Minnesota Vikings after one year of being the team's defensive coordinator. Minnesota ranked 28th in points allowed this season.
Ed Donatell has deep ties to the LA Chargers.
This is a name to keep an eye on. Ed's son, Tommy, is Chargers assistant DBs coach. Brandon Staley coached with Ed in Chicago And Denver. https://t.co/r3UZfvS6El
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) January 19, 2023
That is as deep of ties as a coach could have to this current Chargers coaching staff. A big reason Donatell's son Tommy got the Chargers job likely had to do with Staley working with his dad in both Chicago and Denver.
Finding a role for Donatell on this defensive staff is not something that instantly jumps off the page. Linebackers coach might be too big of a drop-off for Donatell, especially with most of his experience being in the secondary.
Defensive coordinator is likely off the table as well as the team would have moved on from Renaldo Hill by now if there was going to be a change at defensive coordinator. That does not seem to be the case, even with a Fangio guy in Donatell becoming available.
However, there are new roles that the Chargers could add to the staff if they were interested in bringing in Donatell. Steven Haglund of the Guilty As Charged Podcast explored possible roles the team could create to add Donatell to the staff.
FWIW, the Chargers don’t have an associate head coach or a passing game coordinator on defense so they could stick him in one of those roles if they don’t want to shake up the existing secondary set up with Renaldo Hill/Derrick Ansley. https://t.co/XjrsS2LfN5
— Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund) January 20, 2023
Donatell could get both roles, similar to how Anthony Lynn is both the running backs coach and the assistant head coach on Kyle Shanahan's staff. Getting someone with vast defensive coaching experience to be Staley's right-hand man would only benefit the team.
MORE: 5 offensive coordinator candidates to replace Joe Lombardi
Chargers fans were dreaming of the possibility of Vin Fangio joining the staff after the 2022 season but that always felt like a far-fetched idea. Bringing in Donatell to have an influence on this defense could be the next best thing.