11 Best young coaches in the NFL
By Robert Judin
2. Mike McCoy – San Diego Chargers Head Coach (42-years-old)
Mike McCoy is the youngest active NFL head coach and already one of the best. He took over the Chargers in 2013 coming off a 7-9 season and immediately flipped the team into 9-7 before losing in the divisional round of the playoffs.
That divisional-round loss to the Denver Broncos could have easily ended differently, as the Chargers fell 24-17. Oh, and that was the season Peyton Manning tossed a record-breaking 55 touchdowns.
McCoy led San Diego to another 9-7 season last year and will be in the mix again in 2015.
Unlike Dan Quinn, McCoy didn’t really bounce around a lot after getting his initial job in the NFL. He began as an offensive assistant with the Carolina Panthers in 2000 and climbed the ranks in Charlotte.
He became the wide receivers coach in 2001 and then the quarterbacks coach in 2006. McCoy finally headed west in 2009 to become the offensive coordinator of the Broncos until 2012.
With Philip Rivers locked into an extension, he’ll be able to utilize offensive weapons like Keenan Allen, Malcom Floyd, and the newly drafted running back Melvin Gordon.
Ironically, though, it’s McCoy’s defense that has stepped up and finished in the top half of the league last season. Led by Manti Te’o, Melvin Ingram, and Brandon Flowers, the Chargers fully expect to have a dominant defensive unit.
McCoy has transformed the Chargers back into a Super Bowl contender, and with Manning and Tom Brady inching closer to retirement, the road to the big game might be clearer than ever before.
Next: 1. Mike Tomlin