After Lynn Fired, See Odds on Chargers’ Next Head Coach – Brian Daboll and Joe Brady Among Favorites
- The Los Angeles Chargers fired head coach Anthony Lynn on Monday
- Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll is the +275 favorite to be the next coach of the Chargers
- Carolina Panthers OC Joe Brady (+325) is another top contender for the job
After four seasons, Anthony Lynn is out as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Already, there are betting odds as to which coach will be next in line for what appears to be a plum job.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert set an NFL record for touchdown passes by a rookie (31) and is a virtual lock to be named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Whoever takes over as coach inherits a budding superstar at the most important position on the field.
Not surprisingly, offensive coordinators are holding down the favored placings in a prop wager asking who will be the next coach of the Chargers. Buffalo Bills OC Brian Daboll is the +275 chalk.
Joe Brady, the first-year OC of the Carolina Panthers, is the second betting choice at +325.
Odds to Be Next Coach of the Los Angeles Chargers
| Coach | Odds |
|---|---|
| Brian Daboll | +275 |
| Joe Brady | +325 |
| Eric Bieniemy | +600 |
| Pat Fitzgerald | +700 |
| Matt Campbell | +750 |
| Robert Saleh | +800 |
| Arthur Smith | +800 |
| Dave Toub | +850 |
| Pep Hamilton | +1000 |
| Josh McDaniels | +1400 |
| Brian Schottenheimer | +1500 |
| Matt Eberflus | +1600 |
| Jim Harbaugh | +2000 |
| Dennis Allen | +2500 |
| Jack Del Rio | +2500 |
| Matt Patricia | +6600 |
Odds taken Jan. 4th.
The top six contenders for the job are either NFL offensive coordinators or NCAA head coaches.
Lynn Gets the Ziggy
When he wasn’t gassed after the Chargers fell 45-0 at home to the New England Patriots, there was a constituency of supporters who thought Lynn would survive another season. That thought process was seemingly fortified when LA won the next four games to finish the season 7-9.
Statement from Dean Spanos pic.twitter.com/aR8z0OqnEG
— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) January 4, 2021
However, Chargers management decided they’d seen enough and opted to dismiss Lynn. He was 33-31 as LA’s coach and just two seasons removed from a 12-4 campaign that included a Wild Card playoff spot and the team’s first postseason victory since 2013.
While impressed by Lynn’s leadership skills, the team decided it couldn’t look past the numerous in-game operational issues that were plaguing the team all season long. Poor clock management, frequent penalties for 12 men on the field, and puzzling play calls late in halves and games proved to be Lynn’s undoing.
Dabbling In Daboll Futures
The Bills are the fourth NFL team to employ Daboll as an OC. He also served in that role in 2017 with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
What makes Daboll intriguing is that he’s been responsible for assembling Buffalo’s high-potency offense around a budding young superstar QB in Josh Allen.
I’ve personally felt like LAC was the best possible landing spot for Brian Daboll if he made the leap to HC this offseason. Looks a little more realistic now https://t.co/OCnp2Jc5Ak
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) January 4, 2021
This season, Buffalo joined the 2012 New England Patriots as the only NFL teams to collect at least 20 first downs in every game of the regular season.
Pairing Daboll with Herbert and helping the young QB evolve while utilizing such weapons as wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams and running back Austin Ekeler, on paper it makes a whole lot of sense.
One factor that could work against Daboll – when the Chargers hired Lynn, he was the Bills’ OC.
Don’t Bet A Bunch On Brady
There’s no question that Brady is an emerging coaching star. He went from grooming Joe Burrow at LSU to engineering a surprisingly productive offense for the Panthers this season.
Always enjoy my convos w/ Anthony Lynn. Great person & had something special brewing w/ Chargers & ever since playoff loss against NE his team was never able to recreate that feeling. 4th Q decisions were bad too many times. Right time to move on. Joe Brady seems like a good fit.
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) January 4, 2021
At the same time, that was his first NFL coaching job. In fact, it was the first time he’d been an OC. Brady, 31, has never worked as a head coach.
Bringing him aboard with such limited experience after enduring the miscues of the Lynn regime could prove a recipe for disaster.
Might Bieniemy Put A Charge Into LA?
Living in the shadow of offensive guru Andy Reid, it seems as though Eric Bieniemy’s name is linked to every NFL head coach opening. The OC for the Kansas City Chiefs, like Daboll, Bieniemy assembled a high-octane offense and engineered the development of QB Patrick Mahomes into a superstar.
Eric Bieniemy coaching the Chargers is the biggest no-brainer in the NFL.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) January 4, 2021
Beyond that, he’s well familiar with the Chargers, facing them twice a season as AFC West rivals. Even more to that point, it would be a homecoming for Bieniemy. He was drafted 39th overall by the Chargers in 1991 and was a running back with the team from 1991-94.
Pick: Eric Bieniemy (+600)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
