Analysis: Should the Chargers Keep Mike McCoy?

A look at whether or not the head coach deserves a 4th season

NBC 7’s Derek Togerson takes a look at whether or not Chargers head coach Mike McCoy should return for another season in this commentary

Before the 2013 NFL season eight teams hired a new head coach. As is usually the case there have been varying degrees of success with those hires. Here’s a quick rundown of how they’ve fared, from worst to best:

8) Marc Trestman, Chicago: Trestman took a team from 8-8 to 5-11 before getting fired, leaving the cupboard astoundingly empty, nearly killing QB Jay Cutler in the process.

7) Rob Chudzinski, Cleveland: Went 4-12 in his only season with the Browns. I can’t blame that fully on Chud; the Browns are a disaster from the top down.

6) Doug Marrone, Buffalo: In his second season (2014) he led the Bills to a 9-7 record, their first winning season since 2004. Then he exercised an opt-out clause in his contract and left to become an assistant head coach in Jacksonville.

5) Mike McCoy, San Diego: With help from Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt the Chargers went to the playoffs in McCoy’s first season. After that things have trended downhill in a bad way. McCoy went 9-7, missing the playoffs in 2014 and now, after the debacle that has been 2015, has a career losing record as Chargers head coach.

4) Chip Kelly, Philadelphia: He took the NFL by storm and went to the playoffs in year one then went 10-6 but missed the post-season in year two. But Kelly’s caustic personality and questionable personnel moves (he was given G.M. duties as well) wore the organization thin and he was fired before this year’s final game.

3) Gus Bradley, Jacksonville: I know he has the worst record of the group by far. But keep in mind just how terrible the Jags were before he got there. Now at least they’re competitive and on the right track. He will return for 2016.

2) Andy Reid, Kansas City: Reid took a team that was 2-14 to the playoffs his first season and is back there again this year as the hottest team in the NFL. His teams play hard, they play smart and they play physical. That’s a nice combination.

1)     Bruce Arians, Arizona: Far and away the best of the bunch. Arians has been to the playoffs two straight years and almost won a post-season game with Ryan Lindley as his starting quarterback. Arians’ combination of game-planning ability and demeanor has made the Cardinals one of the top five teams in the NFL.

Now, looking at that list, let’s take emotion out of the equation and ask realistically … Does Mike McCoy deserve to get another year as head coach of the San Diego Chargers?

One thing working against McCoy is the fact he’ll always be measured against Arians. Back in 2013 the Bolts had a chance to hire Arians. He has a good relationship with then-new GM Tom Telesco (and we all know from the A.J. Smith vs. Marty Schottenheimer drama how important it is for a coach and GM to be on the same page) so one would think the Bolts had a good shot at landing him.

At least, they would have if they’d ever interviewed him. Remember Arians was scheduled to come to San Diego for a meeting when the Bolts called it off and hired McCoy instead. Think about that for a second. The Chargers had the chance to interview the REIGNING NFL COACH OF THE YEAR and they declined.

It is against that backdrop that we move on to analyze McCoy. In 2015 his team was hit with vicious injuries and that needs to be taken in to consideration. It’s difficult to win games when you don’t have your best personnel on the field. However, one of the biggest jobs of a head coach is adjusting to the situation he’s been put in. That is what I would argue is the one area where McCoy has had his biggest failures.

When half of their offensive linemen go down with injuries does the play calling or approach change? No. When the wide receiver group is decimated with injuries yet they have four healthy tight ends does the play calling or approach change? No.

McCoy has consistently tried to fit a square peg in to a round hole. His lack of ability to change or show anything resembling creativity has led to 2015’s nightmare season. Oh, and his in-game decision making has not helped either.

How do you, in good conscience, leave the Bengals punter on the field to let the clock run out on the first half when you have Philip Rivers as your quarterback and a time out left to give him a chance to get points? McCoy will tell you he was doing what he thought was best for the football team.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the problem. Mike McCoy thinks that conservative strategy is what’s best for the football team and that tells me he has no idea what is, in fact, best for the football team.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: A football team takes on the personality of its head coach. When the Chargers get a lead they do all they can to just not lose it instead of trying to put a team away. That’s the conservatism of their head coach coming to the front.

McCoy can talk a great game but his manufactured swagger is just not working. When things go well he can be arrogant. When they go poorly he gets short and defensive. He’s had three years to show us he has the ability to adapt to adversity and he has not done it.

Although several Chargers, including Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates, fully endorsed him returning for a 4th season I must conclude no, Mike McCoy does not deserve to keep his job as the Chargers head coach. Now we wait and see if President of Football Operations John Spanos feels the same way.

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