Norv Turner, A.J. Smith fired
Chargers Dismiss Norv Turner
NEXT VIDEO
- Chargers Dismiss Norv Turner
Chargers Dismiss Norv Turner
John Clayton on the Chargers firing head coach Norv Turner and GM A.J. Smith.Tags: Norv Turner, Chargers - Blogger Blitz: Changes
Blogger Blitz: Changes
AFC West Blogger Bill Williamson talks about the big changes happening in both Kansas City and San DiegoTags: Blogger Blitz, NFL, AFC West, Chiefs, Chargers, Bill Williamson - Most Appealing Coaching Vacancy
Most Appealing Coaching Vacancy
Tedy Bruschi and Damien Woody discuss their picks for the most appealing coaching vacancy in the NFL.Tags: Lovie Smith - Sunday Blitz: Raiders-Chargers Recap
Sunday Blitz: Raiders-Chargers Recap
Jim Basquil and Eric Allen break down the Chargers' 24-21 win over the Raiders.Tags: Sunday Blitz, Jim Basquil, Eric Allen, NFL, Fantasy
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers fired coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith on Monday after missing the playoffs for the third straight season.
Coming after a season of stunning come-from-ahead losses and increasing fan anger, the firings complete a startling fall for a team that won the AFC West from 2006-09.
Leaving San Diego
Since A.J. Smith joined the Chargers in 2005, San Diego made the third-fewest draft choices in that span (55) despite seeing several high-profile departures and needing to replace that talent.
Notable Chargers departures,
since 2005*
since 2005*
Player | Last Year W/SD |
---|---|
Vincent Jackson, WR | 2011 |
Shawne Merriman, LB | 2010 |
Darren Sproles, RB | 2010 |
LaDainian Tomlinson, RB | 2009 |
Antonio Cromartie, CB | 2009 |
Michael Turner, RB | 2007 |
Drew Brees, QB | 2005 |
*All drafted by Chargers -- ESPN Stats & Information |
The Chargers are the third team to fire Turner, who has an overall head-coaching record of 114-122-1.
Turner was an unpopular hire in February 2007, seen as a pawn controlled by the authoritarian Smith after the GM won a power struggle with old-school coach Marty Schottenheimer.
Despite having what was perceived as one of the NFL's most talented rosters for several seasons, Smith and Turner never got the Chargers to the Super Bowl.
"Both Norv and A.J. are consummate NFL professionals, and they understand that in this league, the bottom line is winning," team president Dean Spanos said in a statement. "My only goal is the Super Bowl, and that is why I have decided to move in a new direction with both our head coach and general manager positions. I am committed to our great fans, and we will do whatever we possibly can to achieve that goal."
The Chargers also announced that former Green Bay Packers GM Ron Wolf has been hired as a consultant to help the find a new general manager and coach.
Spanos and Wolf will be joined by Spanos' son, John, the director of college scouting, and Ed McGuire, the team's lead contract negotiator, in conducting interviews. The new general manager will assist in interviews for the new coach, the team said.
The NFL Network reported Monday that San Diego is interested in Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians for its coaching vacancy. Arians served as the Colts' interim coach this season while Chuck Pagano underwent treatment for leukemia.
"Interest in Bruce Arians? If someone calls, he's earned any phone call," Pagano said in his news conference Monday. "He has earned that right. We do not want to lose Bruce Arians."
The San Diego Union-Tribune, meanwhile, reported that Ken Whisenhunt, who was fired by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday, has interest in the Chargers' job.
Cardinals vice president of player personnel Steve Keim, meanwhile, is scheduled to interview this week for the Chargers' GM job, a league source told ESPN.
Smith's glaring roster deficiencies, especially on the offensive line in front of $94 million man Philip Rivers, helped contribute to San Diego's 7-9 record, its first losing season since 2003.
Rivers was under siege most of the season. Having to scramble for his well-being helped contribute to 22 turnovers -- giving him 47 in two seasons -- and he was sacked 49 times.
After a 3-1 start, the Chargers had a series of collapses.
They blew a 10-point third-quarter lead to lose at New Orleans on Oct. 7.
The Bolts' Monday night face-plant against Denver on Oct. 15 was epic. They blew a 24-0 halftime lead as Peyton Manning calmly led the Broncos to a 35-24 victory.
On Nov. 25, the Chargers allowed Baltimore's Ray Rice to convert on a dump-down pass on fourth-and-29. The Ravens forced overtime and won.
Spanos also had to consider business factors. Four blackouts, including three straight, meant the Chargers were losing millions of dollars in potential revenue.
Another sign of the eroding roster was that no Chargers were voted to the Pro Bowl. Six seasons ago, 11 Chargers were voted to the NFL's All-Star Game, including five starters.
Turner was Smith's signature hire. He inherited a 14-2 team and reached the AFC Championship Game his first season, but the Chargers began a gradual decline. Their last playoff win came after the 2008 season. Their last playoff appearance was an embarrassing home loss to the New York Jets after the 2009 season. The next night, the Chargers announced a four-year contract extension for Turner.
Spanos had twice sided with GMs over coaches. In 1996, he forced out Bobby Ross and kept Bobby Beathard just two years after the Chargers reached their only Super Bowl. In February 2007, Spanos fired Schottenheimer because of a "dysfunctional" relationship between the coach and Smith. The two reportedly didn't speak to each other for the previous two years.
This time, both coach and GM -- who have always been linked at the hip -- were dismissed.
Smith proclaimed Turner to be the "right coach at the right time" for the Chargers. When Turner was hired, he was 24 games under .500, having gone 49-59-1 with Washington from 1994 until being fired with three games left in the 2000 season, and 9-23 with Oakland from 2004-05.
"I'm pretty much aware of who he is and where he's been," Smith said that day. "But this isn't Washington and this isn't Oakland. It's the San Diego Chargers."
Turner was 56-40 with the Chargers overall but only 24-24 the past two seasons.
Turner has one season at $3 million left on his contract. Smith has two years left at $2 million annually.
Norv Turner As Chargers' Coach
Norv Turner started out strong as the Chargers' coach, but San Diego has sputtered in his last three seasons, all which ended without a playoff berth.
Category | 1st 3 Seasons | Last 3 |
---|---|---|
W-L | 32-16 | 24-24 |
Playoff app. | 3 | 0 |
PPG diff. | +7.4 | +3.1 |
Turnover diff. | +36 | -11 |
-- ESPN Stats & Information |
The Chargers were 3-5 in the playoffs in 10 seasons under Smith, who was promoted after his boss, John Butler, died of cancer in 2003.
They were 3-3 in the playoffs under Turner.
Turner was known as a brilliant offensive schemer, having served as offensive coordinator for two of Dallas' three Super Bowl teams in the 1990s.
But he struggled with game management, and his first four Chargers teams were known for slow starts followed by mad scrambles to get into the playoffs. When the Chargers were about to drop to 1-3 to start Turner's first season, fans began chanting "Mar-ty! Mar-ty!" in homage to Schottenheimer.
Favoring hardball negotiating tactics, Smith clashed with his own players and coaches as well as agents and the media. He allowed a steady stream of stars to leave as free agents, including Drew Brees, LaDainian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles, Michael Turner and Vincent Jackson, while failing to adequately replace them.
Some outsiders felt Smith's ego helped weaken the roster, and that some of his spats became personal.
He mocked Tomlinson, whose Hall of Fame-caliber career included winning the NFL MVP award in 2006. Tomlinson's sin, in Smith's eyes, was being honest about a severe groin injury late in the 2008 season. Smith also mocked the Manning family in April before Peyton Manning signed with Denver.
Smith had his hits and misses with players. He's best known for taking Eli Manning with the No. 1 pick overall in the 2004 draft despite Archie Manning's request that he not do so, then dealing Manning's rights to the New York Giants for Rivers and draft picks that he used to take Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding.
Eli Manning went on to win two Super Bowls. Rivers has yet to play in one.
Smith's recent drafts produced more busts than impact players, though, as he seemed to live off the fumes of that '04 draft.
Smith could have picked Clay Matthews in 2009 but went with Larry English. In 2010, he moved up 16 spots to draft Ryan Mathews, the heir apparent to Tomlinson. Mathews has been dogged by injuries and fumbles. In his first draft, 2003, Smith could have had Troy Polamalu but chose Sammy Davis instead.
Smith did sign undrafted rookie Antonio Gates in 2003, but he also let Wes Welker go after just one game in 2004.
Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter and The Associated Press was used in this report.
SPONSORED HEADLINES
MORE NFL HEADLINES
- Ravens' Lewis says he's retiring after season
- Sources: Reid to talk to K.C. before Cards
- Sources: Rams cut ties with suspended Williams
- Vikings' Ponder (elbow) limited in practice
MOST SENT STORIES ON ESPN.COM
Share the news about your favorite sports and teams! Learn more »
Learn more- Social Sharing ON ▼
- ON OFF ▼
- Remind me every time I add an event to my Activity
- My Activity ▼
- Recently shared to your timeline:
Share ESPN with your friends
Your friend shared this story on Facebook. Share ESPN with your friends to see everything they're reading and watching, and then share the latest news about the sports and teams you care about most!
TICKET CENTER
NFL WEEK 17 COVERAGE
Fantasy Football on ESPN.com
NFL Nation blog | Leaders
NFL Stadium Guides | QBR ratings
PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
BLACK MONDAY
- NFL Blog Network: All firing analysis
- Head-coaching changes: Who's been fired
- Kreidler: This is just crazy
- Chiefs fire Crennel, retain Pioli for now
- Seifert: Lovie was given a fair chance
- Walker: The Jets made the right calls
- PFF: Poor moves caused Jets' decline
- Hensley: Browns need experience, not flash
2012-13 PLAYOFFS
- AFC Quick Takes: Cin-Hou | Ind-Bal
- NFC Quick Takes: Min-GB | Sea-Was
- AFC matchup pages: Cin-Hou | Ind-Bal
- NFC matchup pages: Min-GB | Sea-Was
- Clayton: 10 questions about NFC field
- Chadiha: 10 questions about AFC field
- Graziano: Shanahan's stunning turnaround
- Seifert: Vikings surprise even themselves
- Sando: Wilson makes Seattle dangerous
- Kuharsky: Pagano's very happy return
- Reiss: Pats get confidence, and some rest
- Williamson: Can Vikes win in Green Bay?
COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS
- Outsiders: Best and worst QBs of 2012
- Week 17 photo gallery
- O'Connor: Blame Eli for Giants' fall
- Greenberg: Lovie's time is up with Bears
- Cimini: Rex Ryan should be embarrassed
- Studs & Duds: Peterson goes over 2,000
SEASON WRAP-UPS
CLAYTON | FOX | SCHEFTER
SPORTSNATION
- Rank 'Em: 2012 NFL Playoff Teams
- Rank 'Em: 2012 NFL Playoff Quarterbacks
- Vote: Which teams are Super Bowl bound?
- AFC: Bengals-Texans | Colts-Ravens
- NFC: Vikings-Packers | Seahawks-Redskins
2013 NFL DRAFT
- Kiper: 2012 all-rookie team
- Rookie Rankings: Kuechly, Luck are top rooks
- PFF Ranking playoff position groups
- Schefter: Andy Reid's likely destination
- numberFire: Broncos project as champs