EL SEGUNDO — The Chargers are looking for a “head coach of the offense” when it comes to hiring their next offensive coordinator, Coach Jim Harbaugh said Thursday. Seated alongside General Manager Joe Hortiz, Harbaugh said during their season-ending news conference they’re seeking a fresh start.
Greg Roman took the Chargers’ offense as far as he could during his two years on the job, and he and offensive line coach Mike Devlin were the first casualties after a second consecutive playoff exit following a lackluster AFC wild-card defeat. They lost, 16-3, to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
In two playoff games with Roman as their offensive coordinator, the Chargers scored one touchdown and kicked three field goals despite having one of the most prolific passers in the NFL in Justin Herbert. The Chargers are winless in three playoff appearances with Herbert as their quarterback.
“You need a fresh start to stimulate a new direction,” Harbaugh said.
When reminded that he said last year that the Chargers had done Herbert a “disservice” by not providing him with a more talented supporting cast, Harbaugh at first protested that he didn’t say that exact word. In fact, he did say it and then had to admit it when pressed about it Thursday.
“Let me say exactly what I was thinking of,” Harbaugh said Thursday when reminded of his comments of January 2025. “Justin’s talent, Justin’s ability, I have no questions about that. Winner all the way and, yeah, it’s our responsibility to get up to his level. We’re continually striving to do that.”
Said Hortiz of doing Herbert a disservice: “Here’s what I’ll say: At times, we did, at times, we didn’t. We’re here today, this week, and it sucks, all right? We don’t want to be here this week. We want to be here four weeks from now (after the Super Bowl). So, did we do Justin a disservice or whatever word you want to put?
“We weren’t good enough and our goal was to be good enough. I did Dean (Spanos, the team owner,) a disservice. I did coach a disservice. We all did, all of us together. We want to win the Super Bowl, and so we’ve got to get better. How do we get better? You’ve got to attack it.
“We have weeks, months leading up to free agency, leading up to the draft, and you make the best decisions you can in those moments for the team. We continue to try to add players at all times of the year to help the team be as good as it can be. Ultimately, until we win the Super Bowl, I’ll tell you we weren’t good enough,”
Harbaugh and Hortiz each said they would “cast a wide net” in their search for Roman’s replacement. The new offensive coordinator will have a great deal of input on the next offensive line coach, but Harbaugh and Hortiz would have the ultimate say in the hiring process, they each said.
“The person that teaches, installs (the offensive game plan), puts the players in the best position to be successful and, ultimately, scores points, number one,” Harbaugh said of what the Chargers are seeking in Roman’s replacement. “If we think we can better ourselves in an area, and I’ll tell you the same thing, Joe. If we think there’s a better head coach, then we owe that to our team.”
What’s more, the new offensive coordinator will be the Chargers’ fifth since Herbert was drafted in 2020 from the University of Oregon. The new coordinator’s top priority will be unlocking Herbert’s full potential by giving him more time to pick out his targets and giving him more options in the game plan.
Herbert, 27, has completed 66.5% of his passes for 24,820 career yards, including a single-season franchise record of 5,014 yards during his breakout 2021 season. He also has thrown 163 touchdown passes with 58 interceptions while posting a modest 52-43 regular-season record.
In his three playoff appearances, however, including losses to the Houston Texans last season and the Jacksonville Jaguars following the 2022 season, he has completed 54.7% of his passes for 674 yards with two touchdown passes and four interceptions, all of which were against Houston.
Hortiz praised the Chargers’ offensive line for their play in the wake of season-ending injuries to tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, but the fact was that Herbert was sacked 54 times during the regular season, the most in his six-year career, plus six more times Sunday by the Patriots.
Hortiz said Alt and Slater were “ahead of schedule” in their recovery and rehab.
Other highlights of their 40-minute conversation with reporters included the acknowledgement by Harbaugh and Hortiz that it will be “when and not if” defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is hired as a head coach by another NFL team. Minter completed his second season with the Chargers.
In addition, Hortiz said he would like to re-sign several pending free agents, including wide receiver Keenan Allen, left guard Zion Johnson as well as outside linebackers Khalil Mack and Odafe Oweh, and also give outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu a contract extension.
Also, Hortiz said NaVorro Bowman would be stepping down as linebackers coach in order to guide his son, NaVorro Bowman Jr. through the college recruiting process. The younger Bowman is a standout guard at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks who is being recruited by USC, among others.