SAN DIEGO -- The Mike McCoy era came to an anticlimactic end Sunday, with the Chargers announcing that they have parted ways with their embattled head coach after a 37-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“It’s a brutal business,” McCoy said last week. “The players and coaches, they work so hard to get yourself in that position to win a game week in and week out, and we haven’t done it enough or consistently enough.”
Now the Chargers must find a charismatic voice with a transition to a new market a very real possibility. They will announce a decision on relocation to Los Angeles in two weeks.
The Chargers offer viable talent to whomever they chose as coach. Quarterback Philip Rivers is still capable of playing at a high level. San Diego also has a franchise, every-down running back in Melvin Gordon, a true No. 1 receiver in Keenan Allen and a shutdown corner in Jason Verrett.
Even so, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco has to figure out how to keep those valuable assets on the field, instead of in the training room, in 2017.
McCoy proved that he could ably manage the day-to-day tasks of being a head coach. For the most part, the Chargers were prepared to play on game day. San Diego always competed, even with impact players such as Allen, Verrett and Danny Woodhead injured for most of the 2016 season.
Plus, McCoy was liked by his players.
“I’ve been around for a while,” Chargers tight end Antonio Gates said. “And I like to believe [that] when you get a team to play every single Sunday and give all that they have, to me that’s a sign of a good coach.”
It’s McCoy’s game-day management and ability to inspire players on a daily basis that failed him. The Chargers lost six games this season in which they held fourth-quarter leads. Too often, turnovers and blunders on special teams led to losses late in games. The Chargers lacked the focus and discipline needed to finish games.
Whether they stay in San Diego or move to Los Angeles, the Chargers need a larger-than-life presence who can instill confidence and swagger at the top on the field and someone with a winning pedigree who has been there before.
No doubt, McCoy will not want for a job for long, with his reputation for innovation on offense. But the Chargers need to find a dynamic head coach to get them back to the playoffs in 2017.