Schottenheimer Talks Are Likely for Chargers

Yes, the Chargers are interested in Marty Schottenheimer as a candidate for their vacant head coaching job.

Schottenheimer resigned as coach of the Cleveland Browns Tuesday. He and Steve Ortmayer, the Charger director of football operations, are friends. Ortmayer said Wednesday he had not yet talked to Schottenheimer but very well might.

“Yeah, I think there’s a good indication that we’ll do that,” Ortmayer said. “The thing (Schottenheimer leaving the Browns) came up unexpectedly.”

But don’t count Ron Lynn, the Charger defensive coordinator, out of the running yet for a job Ortmayer is in no hurry to fill.

“It doesn’t look like we’ll do anything on this until the end of January,” a Charger spokesman said.

Lynn is the most popular and innovative member of deposed Al Saunders’ staff and also the only Charger assistant any team has asked to talk to since Saunders’ firing. The team that requested Ortmayer’s permission is the Indianapolis Colts, who dumped their entire defensive staff last week.

“It would be prudent to listen to anybody,” Lynn said Wednesday. “But I have not talked to them (the Colts). And I haven’t heard from them or made any plans to talk to them.”

Lynn has said all along his goal is to become a head coach in the NFL. Ortmayer still hasn’t ruled him out as a possible successor to Saunders.

Lynn will return to the San Diego area later this week. He has been vacationing with his family in Nevada since the end of the season. But he has spoken with Ortmayer from Nevada on several occasions.

While not formally announcing his candidacy for the Charger job, Lynn has talked to Ortmayer about the job in generalities. He said he expects those talks to continue when he gets back.

“I hope to find out in what direction Steve (Ortmayer) and Mr. Spanos (Charger owner Alex) want to go,” Lynn said.

To his knowledge, Lynn said, the Colts are the only team that has asked permission to talk to him. There have been reports that the Denver Broncos, who recently fired defensive coordinator Joe Collier, are also interested.

In New Orleans, Saint General Manager Jim Finks has labeled reports that the Chargers had asked permission to talk to Coach Jim Mora “totally absurd.” The report grew out of comments made by a member of the staff of Vince Tobin, the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator. Tobin once worked for Mora in the USFL. Mora, whose son is a staff assistant with the Chargers, has 4 years left on his contract.

Lynn and Saunders have both been mentioned as candidates for the vacant Stanford head coaching job. Stanford Athletic Director Andy Geiger was supposed to be in the San Diego area interviewing prospective candidates Wednesday.

“Maybe that means I’m not a prospective candidate,” Lynn said.

Lynn said he has never talked to anybody from Stanford about the job.

Saunders did not return phone calls from The Times Wednesday.