Chargers hire Anthony Lynn as head coach

The Chargers, fresh off their announcement that they’ll relocate from San Diego to Los Angeles, have named Anthony Lynn their new head coach. Lynn, 48, served as interim coach for the Buffalo Bills in the final week of the season after they fired head coach Rex Ryan.

Lynn replaces Mike McCoy, who went 27-37 in four seasons and was fired after the Chargers finished 2016 at 5-11.

“Our fans are going to be very excited with Anthony Lynn taking the reins here with the Chargers,” Tom Telesco said in a statement. “Anthony has a commanding presence and brings a no-nonsense approach. He is going to be a great leader and we’re confident he’s going to lead the Chargers to great success that our fans have come to expect out of this organization.”

Previously, Lynn was the Bills’ offensive coordinator. He began the season as the running backs coach and was promoted to the position when Ryan fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman following an 0-2 start.

Other than his one-game gig as interim coach, Lynn has never been a head coach before. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network says that Lynn has targeted two former coaches to serve as his coordinators:

There were reports going around that Buffalo’s head coaching job was Lynn’s to lose, though general manager Doug Whaley said the team was conducting an “open search” to fill the vacancy, and the Bills decided to ultimately go with Sean McDermott.

While the Bills struggled to gain yards through the air with quarterback Tyrod Taylor, their rushing offense was the best in the league. Led by running back LeSean McCoy, Buffalo ran the ball with ease throughout the entire season. The offensive line did a great job of carving out space for the star runner, which happened under Lynn’s watch.

In Lynn’s two seasons in Buffalo, the Bills’ rushing game finished at the top of the league.

Lynn played six seasons in the NFL and won two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos. He transitioned to coaching in 2000 and was a running backs coach with the Jaguars, Cowboys, Browns, and Jets before moving to Buffalo.

Now that Lynn is the head coach in Los Angeles, he will be tasked with leading a franchise looking to build a fan base in a city that has another fresh franchise in the area.

Lynn will have established veterans, like quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates, on the roster, as well as young talent that includes defensive end Joey Bosa and running back Melvin Gordon.

Lynn’s hiring fills five of the six vacancies, with the 49ers’ being the only one remaining.