Chargers president of football operations John Spanos said Los Angeles will have “no limitations” when it comes to choosing its next head coach.
Could that possibly mean trying to land Bill Belichick?
It felt unfathomable five years ago that Belichick could coach the Chargers, but with each passing day, that scenario seems more realistic. The Chargers are viewed as a potential destination for Belichick if the 71-year-old coach and the Patriots end up parting ways at the end of the season, which there has been endless speculation about given another tumultuous campaign for New England.
And if the Chargers want to make a major splash when it comes to their next head coach, it really wouldn’t get any bigger than hiring Belichick.
“I think sometimes it’s maybe the misses that help you grow the most — that you can learn from the most,” Spanos said Monday, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim. “And I think we always have to be pushing ourselves as an ownership to get better, to be better.”
Despite Los Angeles possessing plenty of high-end talent highlighted by quarterback Justin Herbert, the Chargers put together another underwhelming season, which ultimately led them to fire Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco following an embarrassing 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders last week on “Thursday Night Football.”
Having both positions open could be more enticing to Belichick as he could not only take over at the helm, but the Chargers could let him make personnel decisions, too, just like he does with New England.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer noted the Chargers could go “big-game hunting” in trying to select their next head coach — a category Belichick clearly falls under — and while owner Dean Spanos doesn’t usually spend lavishly on coaches, he might in this case.
The Chargers have routinely fallen short of expectations season after season, notching just two postseason wins over the last decade. But potentially tapping Belichick as their next coach could point the organization in a winning direction.
“When I looked at these last two hires, we did some good things,” John Spanos said. “We didn’t get where we ultimately wanted to go, but I know that we’re all going to learn from it, and we’re going to do even better the next time. The commitment to winning and the commitment to do whatever it takes to get there is as strong as it’s ever been and really will not waiver.”
