Charger Bosses Get Some Heat : Winslow: Wrong Man Fired; Collier: Ortmayer, Spanos ‘Jerks’

Former Charger Kellen Winslow said Wednesday that deposed Coach Al Saunders got a raw deal and that owner Alex Spanos should have fired himself instead.

“As usual, somebody has to take the fall,” Winslow said. “They fired the wrong man.”

Winslow was asked if he meant the ax should have fallen on Steve Ortmayer, the Chargers’ director of football operations.

“Maybe not,” Winslow said. “Personally, I think it should have been the owner.”

And in Denver, Joe Collier, recently deposed as the Broncos’ defensive coordinator, was taking shots at Spanos and Ortmayer, making the point that he has no desire to work for the San Diego organization.

“No way would I be interested in San Diego,” Collier said, “not under the present ownership or that general manager (Ortmayer). The owner in San Diego is, to say the least, a jerk. The general manager is in the same category.”

Collier, a 29-year coaching veteran who was fired Sunday, did not explain on what he based his opinion of Spanos and Ortmayer.

Ortmayer’s response was surprisingly diplomatic.

“Shows you what kind of competitor the guy is,” Ortmayer said. “Hey, the guy’s a tough competitor. I have great respect for that guy, and I think that’s the way he competes. I think he’s been involved against San Diego and the Raiders long enough that that’s probably the way he feels. I can respect that.

“I think those guys (Denver) over the course of the ’86 and ’87 seasons did as good a job of coaching as was done in the NFL, personally. That’s probably part of it. I think the guy’s probably a tremendous competitor.

“I don’t know him (Collier) personally. But I have great respect for him.

“I guess there’s one guy that has no interest (in Saunders job.)”

Collier’s remarks might have been prompted by the Chargers’ handling of Saunders, who was dismissed Monday despite a 4-2 finish that gave the Chargers a 6-10 record. Ortmayer, who was hired after the 1986 season, attributed Saunders’ firing to “philosophical and directional” differences between him and Saunders, who had replaced Don Coryell during the 1986 season.

“It was a perfect example of bad management,” Winslow said. “Why hire the coach first and then the general manager? And when the owner sees what’s going on, why not step in and stop the clashes between the coach and general manager? He (Spanos) did more to instigate the trouble than anything else.

“It was ridiculous. It’s a good thing for Al to get out of there.”

Winslow, 31, a 3-time All-Pro tight end, retired early this season after a hassle with management. He asked to be put on injured reserve because of a knee problem, but the Chargers suspended him, then finally let him retire, settling with him on the last year of his contract. He is now vice president of marketing for a nutrition technology firm in Carlsbad.

“I think Al did a hell of a job,” Winslow said. “He replaced a legend in Coryell, a living legend. It reminds me so much of Lyndon Johnson succeeding John Kennedy as president. He was following a god, so to speak.

“He made a smooth transition in the middle of the season, and he got the players to play for him. Some people thought he was grabbing for power, but he was just doing what was necessary to get the team back on track as soon as possible.”

The Chargers had a 1-7 record when Saunders took over in 1986 and were 3-5 the rest of the way.

“This could be the best thing that could happen to Al,” Winslow said. “He’s young (41), bright, an intelligent individual, and he can coach on any level. Given his kind of people to work with, which he didn’t have here, he can be a very successful coach.”

Besides praising Saunders as a coach, Winslow gave him some of the credit for his remarkable comeback from the career-threatening knee injury he suffered in 1984. Saunders was an assistant to Coryell at the time, coaching the Chargers’ receivers.

“During my rehabilitation, Al worked out with me to make sure I was doing the right things,” Winslow said. “I had doubts after the surgery, and I had been depressed about it. If it took getting out there at 7 in the morning, it didn’t matter to him. Running, riding a bike, whatever. He was always there.

“That motivated me to work extra hard, and when I got back in ‘86, I caught 64 balls. A lot of coaches wouldn’t have done that, but Al is that kind of person. He’s a classy guy.”

Collier, 59, is generally a rather quiet guy. He made his remarks in an Associated Press story detailing what he might or might not do next.

He specifically said he was not interested in coaching at either San Diego or Indianapolis, where Coach Ron Meyer fired his defensive staff Monday.

“What Meyer did to those six coaches shows you what a jerk he is,” Collier said. “No class and no brains.”

Collier next called Spanos and Ortmayer jerks, and then said he “could name a few others, but I don’t have the time.”

Said Ortmayer: “What does he think, (Dan) Reeves is a good guy? He must be using Ron Meyer to get his point across.”

Charger Notes

Steve Ortmayer, the Chargers’ director of football operations, said Wednesday he still hasn’t asked permission to talk to any other NFL coaches about the vacancy left by Al Saunders’ Monday firing. Ortmayer said one team has called him and asked to talk to a current Charger assistant. He declined to name the team or the assistant. Ortmayer also said he has begun compiling a list of prospective successors to Saunders. He said the list contains fewer than 10 names but expects it to grow. . . . Ortmayer on the future of quarterback Mark Malone, who finished the season as the Chargers’ starter: “We will (eventually) sit down on extensive personnel evaluations. But I think down the stretch Mark Malone played very effectively. I believe Jerry Rhome (offensive coordinator) believed he played very effectively, if not very well, the last 2 weeks of the year.” But, Ortmayer added, “we’re going to certainly address that (quarterback) situation as we work through the draft, yes.” Malone completed 23 of 34 passes and didn’t throw an interception in the Chargers’ last 2 games, both victories.

Brian Hewitt and the Associated Press contributed to this story.