5 replacements for Mike McCoy in San Diego
By Ian O'Brien
San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy is on his last limb after a 1-4 start, but who will the Chargers replace him with if he is fired?
The San Diego Chargers fell to 1-4 with yet another heartbreaking loss to the Oakland Raiders. To make matters worse, the Chargers lost by a touchdown or less again, after they held a 24-16 lead in the third quarter. Head coach Mike McCoy is surely feeling his seat heat up now.
The Chargers have lost all of their games by six points or less. All of these losses have also involved the Chargers blowing their lead in the fourth quarter. McCoy already endured a lot of wrath from Chargers fans with a 4-12 season in 2015, so he may not be able to talk his way out of this season.
McCoy has already been rumored to be on his way out of San Diego. According to NFL.com, McCoy will likely be gone if the Chargers lose to both the Raiders and Denver Broncos. Beating the Broncos is a long shot for the Chargers, so McCoy is as good as gone if the reports are to be believed. Here are five coaching candidates who would be viable replacements for McCoy.
5. George Edwards
Edwards is in his third season as the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator. The Vikings are the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL. Their dominant defense has been built from the ground up, and it has made even more strides from an impressive 2015 performance. The Vikings have allowed a minuscule 12.6 points per game under Edwards’ watch.
The Chargers continue to struggle on the defensive side of the ball, so Edwards may be the right fit for this team. They have allowed an unremarkable 27 points per game, and they allowed more than 30 for the third time against the Raiders. Edwards has had the benefit of learning under a defensive genius in Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer. If he can carry over this sort of success, there’s no telling what the Chargers could be capable of if their offense can combine with a competent defense.