Chargers Map Out Direction in Their Search for Coach

The man in charge of finding a replacement for fired Charger Coach Al Saunders said Tuesday he doesn’t even have a list yet of potential successors.

And, says Steve Ortmayer, the Chargers’ director of football operations, “There has been no contact made with anyone, anywhere.”

But the profile of the man he now seeks is clear as crystal in Ortmayer’s mind.

“I believe the important thing is to find a coach who can fit into the blueprint of the way we perceive the San Diego Chargers’ direction,” Ortmayer said in his first press conference since the dismissal of Saunders Monday. “I believe there is more than one way to skin a cat. But everybody has to be skinning the same cat. You have to be going in the same direction.”

According to Ortmayer, he and Saunders were not.

“Basically Al and I have had our differences over the past 2 years and we have worked 2 years to correct those,” he said. “But they haven’t been corrected and I believe that those differences--philosophical and directional--impacted our team, our performance on the field and our ability to put the best product on the field in 1989.”

Ortmayer also met with Saunders’ staff Tuesday morning. At the meeting the assistants all accepted Ortmayer’s invitation to stay during the interim. He then scheduled individual meetings that began Tuesday afternoon with defensive coordinator Ron Lynn and will continue with others this morning.

Ortmayer said the possibility of promoting one of the present assistants “hasn’t been ruled out.”

Lynn said they did not discuss his becoming the team’s next head coach “on a personal basis.”

“Steve said he knew of my interest to be a head coach,” Lynn said. “But Steve has also encouraged all of us to protect ourselves.”

That means Ortmayer won’t refuse permission if other teams ask to interview any members of the Chargers’ staff. Lynn and most of the rest of the staff have contracts that expire at the end of next month. The contracts of offensive coordinator Jerry Rhome and offensive line coach Jerry Wampfler expire at the end of January 1990.

Rhome and Lynn appear to be the two leading candidates on the staff to succeed Saunders. Ortmayer said he was happy with the job both did during the Charger season that ended Sunday at 6-10 despite four victories in the last six games.

Choosing his words carefully, Ortmayer said of Lynn: “I would like to keep Ron Lynn, certainly. I would like to keep several of our assistants.”

Asked about Rhome, Ortmayer said: “I like many of the things Jerry has done.”

The more Ortmayer talked about Lynn and Rhome, the more apparent it became that Lynn is the early-line favorite if the selection comes from in-house.

Ortmayer said he wouldn’t succeed Saunders himself. And he responded by saying, “God forbid,” when asked if the next Charger coach would come from the Raider organization, where Ortmayer used to work.

Asked if that meant that former Raider coach Tom Flores would not get consideration, Ortmayer said, “I’m not gonna rule people out.”

He also refused to rule out the possibility of hiring a college coach. “I do not believe that it is impossible for a college coach to function in the NFL if he can be given an immediate crash course in NFL intricacies, not the least of which is player personnel,” he said. “I believe that good coaches can coach at any level. I also have a strong belief that the function of an NFL coach is coaching and that it is basically a blue-collar job.”

The latter remark was a direct reference to Saunders’ habit of wearing white shirts, ties and delegating virtually all coaching duties to his assistants.

Ortmayer said he would like to hire a new coach “sooner than later.” But he pointed out that 10 teams are still alive in the NFL playoffs that begin Saturday with the AFC wild-card game. That means he has at least identified coaching prospects on other NFL teams.

But he said he has not contacted any NFL teams asking permission to talk to any coaches. And, he said, he has not received any calls from anybody asking for permission to talk to his coaches.

There have been reports Ortmayer might attempt to re-sign Lynn as defensive coordinator even before finding a new coach. And he conceded that could happen. Ortmayer also said he might attempt to retain Lynn and defensive line coach Gunther Cunningham and linebackers coach Mike Haluchek as a group.

Ortmayer repeatedly talked about “continuity” for a team that struggled in 1988 while adjusting from a passing game to a run-oriented offense supported by a physical defense. But he also admitted the best candidate for the job might be somebody who would demand to bring in his own assistants.

Meanwhile, Lynn, Rhome, Wampfler, special teams coach Wayne Sevier, Cunningham and the rest of the staff must decide whether to look around or hope they are asked to stay.

“That’s the scary part,” Sevier said. “I’m sure most of us would like to stay.”

“We’re all in limbo,” Wampfler said. “We all have a lot of questions.”

Sevier, the only other assistant seen as a possible replacement for Saunders, said “I think it’s definitely something to consider.”