New Orleans Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi is tracking to become the new offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
New Chargers coach Brandon Staley played under Lombardi for one year when he was the quarterback at Mercyhurst University in 2005 and Lombardi was the offensive coordinator.
Lombardi, the grandson of Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, had one previous stint as an NFL offensive coordinator with the Detroit Lions under Jim Caldwell in 2014-15. But he was fired after a 1-6 start in his second year on the job.
Lombardi began his NFL career as a defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons in 2006, before being hired as an offensive assistant with the Saints in 2007 and being promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2009. He was rehired to the same position in 2016 after being fired by the Lions.
Lombardi spent a total of 12 seasons working with Saints coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees while they rewrote many NFL passing records. He also has tutored backups like Teddy Bridgewater, Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston in recent years.
If officially hired by the Chargers, Lombardi will join Staley, previously the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, and an offense centered around Justin Herbert, the rookie who became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to throw 30 touchdown passes in a season.
The Saints, meanwhile, will lose another coach on Payton's staff. The Lions hired Dan Campbell, New Orleans' tight ends coach/assistant head coach, as their head coach last week.
And Campbell brought Saints secondary coach Aaron Glenn with him as the Lions' new defensive coordinator.
The Saints also lost assistant general manager Terry Fontenot to the rival Falcons, who named him their new GM.