Michael Gehlken @UTgehlken It is done. The Chargers have fired head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith.
Such a relief that this day is finally here. In his quote, Dean Spanos said: "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," Hopefully this means we hire a great new head coach...
Met them both a few times and I really like both of them. Norv is a very special guy and I thank him for all his efforts over the years and wish him all the best for the future. I'm glad they were allowed to get to the end of the season and they went out with a win over the raiders. That said, I'm now looking forward to a new direction for this team and an end to piss poor play calling, piss poor time management and piss poor draft selections. Happy New year everybody!
Chargers fire Norv Turner, A.J. Smith There is stability atop the Chargers organization no more. As expected Monday morning, team president Dean Spanos informed head coach Norv Turner and general manager A.J. Smith they've been relieved of their duties. Turner had one year left on his contract. Smith had two. The firings, a surprise to neither man, come a day after the team's third consecutive season without a playoff berth concluded. The franchise has seen gradual, annual decline in results and quality of personnel. Turner was 59-43 in his six-year Chargers tenure, capped by a 24-21 Sunday win over Oakland. He had the support of his locker room to the end and will address his players at 11 a.m. in what is expected to be an emotional team meeting. "I really think, at some point, he'll be appreciated on the outside for the six years," quarterback Philip Rivers said Sunday. "He managed the ups and downs, the holdouts we had, the roster changes, the injuries, the kicks, 17 receivers (in 2010), to win 59. Now, I'm not selling that we're satisfied. But I can find a lot worse six-year stretches in this league — a lot worse." The Chargers won two playoff games in 2007, Turner's first year as their head coach. It snapped a franchise streak of 12 years without a playoff victory, its last in the AFC Conference Championship Game after the 1994 season. In 2008, the team began the year 4-8, all but out of postseason contention. But the Broncos collapsed with three losses in the final three weeks, and the Chargers finished 8-8 to win the division. They defeated the the Colts in Indianapolis before losing in Pittsburgh. San Diego last made the postseason in 2009. It went 13-3 but lost at home to the Jets in the divisional round. From then, it's gone from 9-7 to 8-8 to 7-9. This year's 7-9 record was the franchise's first losing season since 2003, Smith's first as GM. Team president Dean Spanos had meetings with with Turner and Smith on Monday morning, formally telling both men they'd been dismissed. "Our last three years tells you Dean was right," Smith said. "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," Spanos said in a statement. "I am committed to our great fans, and we will do whatever we possibly can to achieve that goal.”
Doesn't really mean instability since they are promoting a GM from within and will likely go after a HC that won't want changes with the DC and STC
I'm not sure how you can have instability when our season is over........ bit of a dumb statement from Gehlken.
UTKevinAcee @UTKevinAcee Confirming @AlbertBreer report, Chargers have hired former Packers GM Ron Wolf to help search for new GM & coach. Contacted him a month ago.
Search for a new GM? I will believe it when I see it. Maybe Raye doesn't want to be a Spanos puppet? If true I am betting that the new GM will be reporting to boy wonder.
Happy Trails.... This kinda reminds me of the signs that should be ont he border of California "Welcome to California, now go ******* home!"
I take no joy from this. I think Norv is a scapegoat (an easy, and maybe even necessary scapegoat, at this juncture, but still a scapegoat). I won't use this hour to lay out the 50 reasons why Norv probably wasn't responsible for the recent disappointing seasons...but to hope against hope that ownership actually brings in someone who's truly better. I've been a Charger fan far too long to be sincerely optimistic on that front. But now I have little choice. Go Bolts!!
Remember that article about Cowher meeting with Spanos a month ago? curious if that was for the consultant position that Ron Wolf is hired for.
it's a joke, last year Norv was kept citing stability and continuity as the main reason, so if they are no longer here it means...naahh, forget it
