Since they were established in 1960, the Chargers have had 61 seasons in the AFL and the NFL, in San Diego and Los Angeles. Several great players and coaches have also joined the franchise and left indelible marks throughout its history. With just one conference championship and still no Lombardi trophy to their name, the Chargers may not have the success that other NFL teams have. However, they have had years of success in the league, with 14 playoff appearance and 10 division championships in the AFC West since the AFL-NFL merger.
But while it is players like LaDanian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers, and Junior Seau who are remembered by fans for bringing the Chargers to great heights, the team’s coaches are equally important to their success. Since its days in the AFL, the team has had coaches who were able to steer them to victories both in the regular season and playoffs, while other coaches struggled and brought the team to the depths of defeat during their lean years.
Given its rich history that has spanned more than six decades, the Chargers have also been fortunately to have been handled by several great mentors. So here are the three best coaches of the franchise since their days in the AFL, when they won their first and so far only championship in 1963, until the present time:
3. Bobby Ross
The Chargers have had just one Super Bowl appearance in the AFL-NFL merger, and it happened in 1994 during the coaching tenure of Bobby Ross. When Ross took over the Chargers after a coaching stint in Georgia Tech, he inherited a team that was mired in years of futility. During the 1980s until the early 1990s, San Diego had just one season where it finished with a .500 record, which happened in 1985, when they finished with an 8-8 record.
But by the time that Ross had moved on from the franchise after a five-year stint, he had compiled a 47-33 record, including 3-3 in the playoffs, to go with three playoff appearances, two division titles, and a trip to the Super Bowl. His worst records with San Diego were during the 1993 and 1996 seasons, when the team finished with identical 8-8 records. During his first season in charge of the Bolts, the Chargers stumbled out of the gates, dropping their first four games. But they regained their bearings as the season went on, winning 11 of their last 12 games en route to a playoff appearance and a division title, the first time they won the AFC West since 1981.
The high point of his stint as Chargers’ head coach was an appearance in Super Bowl XXIX, but they were routed by Steve Young and the San Francisco 49ers in the big game, 49-26.Nevertheless, Ross may not have guided the Chargers to the title, but he was instrumental in transforming the franchise and helping the team climb out of mediocrity.
2. Don Coryell
Similar to Ross, Coryell was brought on as Chargers head coach in 1978 to rescue a franchise that had been mired in mediocrity ever since it joined the NFL from the AFL. He was brought on in the middle of the season, replacing Tommy Prothro, and immediately proved that he was the right man for the job, winning eight of their final 11 games as the Chargers finished with a 9-7 record, which marked their first winning season at that point since 1969.
Coryell proceeded to help the Chargers reach the playoffs for the next three years and winning three division titles. Together with quarterback Dan Fouts, wide receiver Charlie Joiner, and tight end Kellen Winslow, he unleashed the “Air Coryell” passing offense that ranks among the best in league history. For six years starting when he took over the Chargers’ coaching job until 1983, the Chargers led NFL in total passing yards while also leading the league in total yards from 1980-1983.
Coryell compiled a 69-56 record during his time as Chargers’ head coach, including a 3-4 record in the playoffs. Like Ross, he was also unable to translate their success in the postseason, as he only got as far as the AFC Championship Game in 1980 and 1981. But despite the lack of hardware, bringing a winning culture and an explosive offense earns Coryell a spot among the greatest coaches in Chargers history.
1. Sid Gillman
Sid Gillman never had the chance to coach the Chargers in the NFL, but he was in charge of the team for nine of their 10 seasons in the AFL, and with good reason. Gillman was an offensive innovator that brought the team to unprecedented heights during their early years as a franchise, heights that they have yet to match until today.
Gillman was responsible for the team’s first and so far only championship, while also piloting the Chargers to four appearances in the AFL Championship Game. The Chargers lost two of those title games to the Houston Oilers and the other two to the Buffalo Bills. But he finally took home a title for San Diego in 1963, when they demolished the Boston Patriots, 51-10.
With wide receiver Lance Alworth as his primary weapon, Gillman unleashed a powerful offense that preferred long downfield passes that changed the way that football is played and allowed the Chargers to dominate their conference in their early years. Aside from being a proven winner, Gillman’s legacy also includes revolutionizing the game and influencing many other coaches after him, cementing his place as the greatest coach in Chargers history.
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