Los Angeles Chargers introduce Anthony Lynn as new head coach
CARSON, Calif. -- Like everyone else in Los Angeles, Anthony Lynn still has to get used to his team's new name. A week into the franchise's introduction into a new market, Lynn slipped by saying he was proud to be the head coach of the San Diego Chargers instead of the newly namedLos Angeles Chargers.
"Oops, I meant L.A. Chargers," Lynn said, correcting himself.
The slip was understandable, considering most folks within the Chargers' organization are still getting used to the idea of the team being in the City of Angels.
Chargers director of football operations John Spanos, however, said he believes the franchise got the right man to lead them, saying he was impressed with Lynn during the initial interview.
"You can tell right away he has this authentic leadership to him," said Spanos, who had final decision on the head-coaching hire for the first time in his relatively new role. "He's a no-nonsense guy, and he's real genuine. He's a guy that you can just picture leading this team, and the guys buying in and playing hard for him."
Lynn, the former Buffalo Bills interim head coach, pointed to three NFL coaching heavyweights as major influences in his path to becoming the Chargers' first African-American head coach: Bill Walsh, Mike Shanahan and Bill Parcells.
Like that trio of Super Bowl winners, Lynn said he'll lean on discipline and toughness in transitioning the Chargers from San Diego to Los Angeles.
Lynn said that Walsh identified him as a potential coach during Lynn's NFL career as a running back. Shanahan gave Lynn his first NFL coaching opportunity, as a special teams assistant in Denver. And Lynn worked for Parcells as a running backs coach while with the Dallas Cowboys.
"We're going to be tough, and we're going to be disciplined on the football field," Lynn said. "We're going to play smart, situational football. And we're going to have good, efficient quarterback play."
Lynn said he believed the Chargers' job was the best of the six NFL head-coaching vacancies this year, and that having a veteran quarterback inPhilip Rivers was part of its appeal.
Lynn said he had not finalized his coaching staff, but confirmed Ken Whisenhunt will stay on as the team's offensive coordinator and that he continues to pursue former Jacksonville Jaguarscoach Gus Bradley as his team's defensive coordinator.
Lynn said when he interviewed for head-coaching jobs last year, Whisenhunt was his No. 1 candidate to be his offensive coordinator. Lynn also said he spoke with Bradley on Monday and will continue to speak with him Tuesday evening.
The Chargers introduced Lynn at the site of the team's temporary facility, the StubHub Center. The Chargers will play there for two seasons before transitioning to a new stadium shared with the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood.
Spanos said the Chargers chose the StubHub Center with the team's fans in mind because of the intimate setting of the 30,000-seat facility.
"I know on a personal level, for me, I'm actually excited to have a nice, big Jumbotron where we can really, clearly see the scoreboard and replays," Spanos said, a not so subtle shot at the team's former digs at Qualcomm Stadium. "So now our coach can quickly decide whether or not he wants to challenge a play."
The Chargers won nine games over the past two seasons, which led to the firing of Mike McCoy at the end of the 2016 season. However, Lynn said he believes the Chargers are built to win now.
"He can inspire individuals, he can inspire a team," Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said. "I can tell you this is a coach that I would want to play for. I have two sons, and I would want them to play for him. "I think our players are going to love playing for him, and they'll play hard for him."
