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Updated: Feb. 13, 2007, 12:09 AM ET
Burning questions
Shocking developments in San Diego
ESPN.com
With Marty Schottenheimer getting fired on Monday night, it's time to go to our experts to get answers on the coach and the San Diego Chargers in a special edition of Burning Questions.
1. Are you surprised by the firing?
Mark Schlereth: I'm shocked from an organizational standpoint. This team has lost its offensive coordinator [Cam Cameron], defensive coordinator [Wade Phillips], linebackers coach [Greg Manusky], tight ends coach [Rob Chudzinski], assistant strength and conditioning coach [Matt Schiotz], and now the head coach in a relatively short period of time. Apparently there was a severe enough conflict between [general manager] A.J. Smith and Marty Schottenheimer that the Chargers organization decided to upset the stability it had -- which is even more surprising.
The one constant that all great organizations have is stability. So it's incredibly shocking the Chargers would choose this route.
Merril Hoge: I'm extremely surprised by this decision. The Chargers had one of the best teams in football last season and now they've decided to make this decision so late in the game. This team should be preparing for the draft and shoring up any holes they may have as well as dealing with free agency. Instead, they are now in the market for a new head coach after most of the better candidates have already been hired.
Heck, if this team wanted to they could've made this decision a week after their loss to the New England Patriots and hired one of their coordinators who went on to take head coaching jobs elsewhere.
Sean Salisbury: I'm very surprised but not shocked. They've had a very strained relationship over the years and I think this decision was made because of the loss of the two coordinators. All of a sudden, Marty is in a position to hire two new coordinators as well as other assistant coaches and you have to wonder if he could give them longer contracts than he had and what type of job security he could ensure them since he was a lame-duck coach going into next season.
2. Was the right guy let go?
Schlereth: It's hard to say if the right guy was let go because so much goes into a 14-2 season. It's not just the hard work of the coach, but also the hard work of the general manager. A.J. Smith has done a wonderful job in free agency, the draft and trade market. It would've been extremely difficult for the Chargers organization to let Smith go.
Hoge: I think the right guy was let go because Smith has done such a phenomenal job for the Chargers. It would've been very difficult for them to let him go, while Schottenheimer can be more easily replaced.
Salisbury: This is not the right decision. I have a great deal of respect for Smith and the Spanos' organization, but I find it unfathomable that a coach who went 14-2 was fired. This is unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.
3. Who should the Chargers look to hire?
Schlereth: The Chargers are probably going to look to hire a younger coach who will be able to co-exist with A.J. Smith. Obviously they don't want to recreate the same scenario that they just ended. They should call the Cowboys and find out who their second best candidate was and bring him in immediately to talk to him.
Hoge: They have to get a guy in there who can work with Smith and who can keep the team on the same path, which is easier said than done. There are still some decent coaching candidates out there, but the Chargers may have to be creative in finding out which guy is the right person to lead them down the line.
Salisbury: The Chargers have a perfect candidate right in San Diego and that's Dennis Green. He's an excellent candidate for a veteran team like the Chargers and probably won't demand the type of power that other more established coaches will try to get from San Diego.
Burning questions
Shocking developments in San Diego
ESPN.com
With Marty Schottenheimer getting fired on Monday night, it's time to go to our experts to get answers on the coach and the San Diego Chargers in a special edition of Burning Questions.
1. Are you surprised by the firing?
Mark Schlereth: I'm shocked from an organizational standpoint. This team has lost its offensive coordinator [Cam Cameron], defensive coordinator [Wade Phillips], linebackers coach [Greg Manusky], tight ends coach [Rob Chudzinski], assistant strength and conditioning coach [Matt Schiotz], and now the head coach in a relatively short period of time. Apparently there was a severe enough conflict between [general manager] A.J. Smith and Marty Schottenheimer that the Chargers organization decided to upset the stability it had -- which is even more surprising.
The one constant that all great organizations have is stability. So it's incredibly shocking the Chargers would choose this route.
Merril Hoge: I'm extremely surprised by this decision. The Chargers had one of the best teams in football last season and now they've decided to make this decision so late in the game. This team should be preparing for the draft and shoring up any holes they may have as well as dealing with free agency. Instead, they are now in the market for a new head coach after most of the better candidates have already been hired.
Heck, if this team wanted to they could've made this decision a week after their loss to the New England Patriots and hired one of their coordinators who went on to take head coaching jobs elsewhere.
Sean Salisbury: I'm very surprised but not shocked. They've had a very strained relationship over the years and I think this decision was made because of the loss of the two coordinators. All of a sudden, Marty is in a position to hire two new coordinators as well as other assistant coaches and you have to wonder if he could give them longer contracts than he had and what type of job security he could ensure them since he was a lame-duck coach going into next season.
2. Was the right guy let go?
Schlereth: It's hard to say if the right guy was let go because so much goes into a 14-2 season. It's not just the hard work of the coach, but also the hard work of the general manager. A.J. Smith has done a wonderful job in free agency, the draft and trade market. It would've been extremely difficult for the Chargers organization to let Smith go.
Hoge: I think the right guy was let go because Smith has done such a phenomenal job for the Chargers. It would've been very difficult for them to let him go, while Schottenheimer can be more easily replaced.
Salisbury: This is not the right decision. I have a great deal of respect for Smith and the Spanos' organization, but I find it unfathomable that a coach who went 14-2 was fired. This is unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable.
3. Who should the Chargers look to hire?
Schlereth: The Chargers are probably going to look to hire a younger coach who will be able to co-exist with A.J. Smith. Obviously they don't want to recreate the same scenario that they just ended. They should call the Cowboys and find out who their second best candidate was and bring him in immediately to talk to him.
Hoge: They have to get a guy in there who can work with Smith and who can keep the team on the same path, which is easier said than done. There are still some decent coaching candidates out there, but the Chargers may have to be creative in finding out which guy is the right person to lead them down the line.
Salisbury: The Chargers have a perfect candidate right in San Diego and that's Dennis Green. He's an excellent candidate for a veteran team like the Chargers and probably won't demand the type of power that other more established coaches will try to get from San Diego.
