SD JOB opening?

[clark griswold]

CARROLL-TO-CHARGERS COMING?

We've gotten an uncorroborated tip from one of our friends in the media regarding the possibility that the San Diego Chargers will immediately target USC coach Pete Carroll if, as has been reported, Marty Schottenheimer is fired on Monday.

The talk is that Carroll would want control over the football operations, which means that G.M. A.J. Smith would have to take a back seat.

But we think, frankly, that the Chargers should take it one step farther and send Smith out the door with Schottenheimer. Smith has done a decent job of acquiring talent, but in a quest to build a winner Smith has picked up more than his share of losers, as evidenced by the string of arrests and other embarrassments this season.

There's also a rumor that Carroll wants $7 million per year to make the jump to the NFL from USC, and that if the move is made it will happen "real quick."

But keep this in mind. Under the Rooney Rule, it can't happen as fast as Carroll or the Chargers might like. Instead, the Spanoseses must interview at least one minority candidate before hiring Carroll. And if the available minority candidates believe that Carroll is getting the job, it might be hard to convince one or more of them to sit for the job.

[clark griswold]

MARTY GONE?

Now that the Chargers have parlayed a 14-2 season and the No. 1 seed in the AFC field into a one-and-out against the Pats, it remains to be seen whether the recent report from John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com that coach Marty Schottenheimer will be fired comes to fruition.

But Czarnecki's report was only that Marty was out if the team lost. Given the manner in which the game unraveled, we think the outcome becomes even more likely.

Seven times that the Chargers were on the 50 or in Patriots territory, San Diego scored no points.

After Marlon McCree's boneheaded decision to intercept a pass on fourth down late in the game rather than knock it down, he fumbled the ball, giving the Pats the mulligan they needed to tie the game up. Yeah, McCree screwed up. But the coaching staff is responsible for making sure that the guys on the field know what to do under specific game circumstances.

Then, Schottenheimer made it worse by wasting a time out, which might have come in handy down the stretch, on a replay challenge of the play that had no chance of succeeding.

Other things happened that weren't the result of coaching decisions. But they were the result of mistakes that NFL players shouldn't make. Individually, it's hard to blame coaching; collectively, coaching is the common thread.

So we think it's time. Marty must go. And, as Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported on Sunday morning, it could be father and son vying for the same job in Miami.

[jcindaville]

the Steelers will hire shitinhimer if he is fired

[wayne1218]

This would be the best NFL fit possible for Pete Carroll

Not far from home and a great young talent base to work with!

[frankb03]

This would be the best NFL fit possible for Pete Carroll

Not far from home and a great young talent base to work with!

I agree. If Pete left USC for any NFL team this would be the perfect team.

[RDOG55]

I dont' think the Steelers would hire Marty. They are always looking for long-term coaches, i.e. Noll and Cowher. I don't think Marty has too many years left.

[drugstuntman]

AJ Smith has done a dam fine job putting this roster together, and Marty would have been gone last year if he had his way. The way he snookered the Giants with that Eli trade is enough to keep him entrenched for quite some time. That being said - this town is hurting so bad that getting Carrol may be the only way to take some of the sting out this one.