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Sports

Chargers select McCoy as new head coach

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

San Diego, CA – The San Diego Chargers introduced Mike McCoy as their next head coach on Tuesday.

McCoy spent the past four seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos, and was also an offensive assistant from 2000 through 2008 with the Carolina Panthers.

"Mike has all of the qualities we were looking for in a head coach and a leader. He has a very structured vision about how to build and run a football team," said Chargers team president Dean Spanos. "He has a track record of building offenses and maximizing the abilities of his players. Bottom line, he's a leader. And he's charismatic. I know our fans will enjoy getting to know Mike and watching what he does with the Chargers."

The Broncos' season came to a close on Saturday with a 38-35 double-overtime loss to Baltimore in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. McCoy interviewed with the Chargers on Monday.

McCoy has worked with two very different quarterbacks the past two years with the Broncos. He helped an offense led by the much-maligned Tim Tebow reach the playoffs in 2011, then worked with future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning this past season as Denver won its final 11 regular-season games to complete a 13-3 campaign with a second straight AFC West title.

The Broncos were fourth overall in total offense this season, averaging 397.9 yards while ranking behind only New England in points scored with 481.

"It's an honor and privilege to have an opportunity to work for a great organization like the San Diego Chargers," said McCoy. "It's exciting for me to come to an organization like the Chargers and the beautiful city of San Diego at the start of a new era and the beginning of a new culture. Change is good in this business and, to me, this is the opportunity of a lifetime."

Before joining the Broncos with Josh McDaniels in 2009, McCoy had various roles on current Denver coach John Fox's Carolina staff. He was an offensive assistant in 2000, wide receivers coach the following year and quarterbacks coach from 2002-08, adding the title of passing game coordinator in 2007.

San Diego needed a replacement for Norv Turner, who was fired a day after completing a 7-9 season -- the team's first losing record since 2003. Turner guided the club to a mark of 56-40 in six seasons with three playoff appearances, but the Chargers were just 24-24 without a postseason berth in his last three years.

The Chargers also fired general manager A.J. Smith in the purge after the season and named Tom Telesco as his replacement earlier this month.

Telesco and Chargers brass interviewed a number of coaching candidates, including former Bears head coach Lovie Smith and former Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt, as well as NFL assistant Jay Gruden.