How Greg Roman is responsible for a previous Chargers' mistake hire

It did not take long for the LA Chargers to build out a coaching staff around Jim Harbaugh. Most, if not all, of the coaching staff has been set in stone with there being prominent names at both coordinator positions.

Jesse Minter followed Harbaugh from Michigan to be his defensive coordinator in Los Angeles while Greg Roman reunited with Harbaugh after spending the 2022 season unemployed. The latter of the two coaches was a concening hire for Chargers fans, as the offenses has run in the past don't necessarily suit Justin Herbert.

There is actually some history between Roman and the Chargers as well. While Roman has never coached for the team in any capacity, he is responsible for the domino effect that led the Chargers to hire yet another failed first-time head coach back in 2017.

Greg Roman was responsible for getting Anthony Lynn hired by the Chargers

In between his stints as the offensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens Roman was the offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills. He lasted less than two full seasons in Buffalo, and paved the way for Lynn to become a head coaching candidate.

Roman was fired just two games into his second season with the team, prompting Rex Ryan to elevate Lynn to offensive coordinator early in the season. Bufalo's offense turned a corner with Lynn calling the plays, which culminated in the team finishing 10th in points and 16th in total yards.

Those are not elite numbers but they were good considering the circumstances (Tyrod Taylor starting at quarterback). Lynn impressed enough that when Ryan was eventually fired, he was tagged in to be the interim head coach for a game.

Roman's firing set off this sliding-doors moment that led to Lynn becoming the interim head coach and eventually becoming the next head coach of the Chargers. Lynn's tenure with the Chargers obviously did not go as planned, even if he has the most successful season of the last 15 years with the 12-4 Chargers team that reached the AFC Divisional Round.

If anything, this is a full-circle moment for Justin Herbert. Roman might not have the profile of an offensive coordinator that will get the most out of Herbert, but he has direct ties to the first head coach that Herbert ever played for in the NFL.

Perhaps that minor connection can provide stability and allow Herbert to truly be maximized in this new offense under Roman and Harbaugh.