Chargers Talk With Roland, Now May Wait

The Chargers continued their search for a head coach Tuesday by interviewing Chicago Bears running backs coach Johnny Roland but they probably won’t make a decision until next Tuesday at the earliest.

Roland met in the morning and afternoon with Steve Ortmayer, the Chargers’ director of football operations. Roland also was supposed to meet with team owner Alex Spanos. But a bout with the flu forced Spanos to leave the Chargers’ stadium offices at mid-day and return home to Stockton.

Roland described his meetings with Ortmayer as a “feeling out” process. But he made it clear he hoped the Chargers’ interest in him isn’t just because he is black.

“I explained to them I don’t want this to be a charade,” he said. “If their interest is genuine, I want full consideration.”

Does Roland think the Chargers’ interest so far is genuine?

“I’m not a mind-reader,” he said.

Roland said he has “no problem” with the Chargers’ expressed desire to keep several of their current assistants in 1989.

The Chargers’ short list of candidates to replace Al Saunders now appears to include Roland, Charger defensive coordinator Ron Lynn, Redskin assistant Dan Henning and Mike White, former Illinois and Cal coach.

But final selection is on hold.

Ortmayer will be busy the rest of this week drawing up his 37-man “protected” list and then traveling to Indianapolis where he will spend Thursday through Sunday evaluating college talent at the annual scouting combine workouts in Indianapolis.

The 37-man list is the NFL’s response to anticipated anti-trust problems stemming from the league’s court battle over free agency with the NFL Players Assn. The Chargers have 62 players under contract, 25 of whom they will have to leave unprotected from Feb. 2 until April 2. Those 25 will be unconditional free agents, free to negotiate with other teams. Just as the Chargers will be free to negotiate with players left unprotected by other teams.

Asked if the Chargers would actively bid for unconditional free agents, Ortmayer said: “We’ll go after need before we go after youth. We can find youth 24 days later (in the NFL draft.)”

At the combine workouts, Ortmayer will have to focus on players available for that draft. He will return to San Diego Sunday night. He and Spanos could decide on the new coach Monday and announce the decision at a press conference Tuesday. It’s not an unlikely scenario.

The candidacy of White continues to gain momentum. One of White’s biggest supporters is former San Francisco Coach Bill Walsh; Walsh’s opinion is said to be highly valued by Spanos.

Last week, White said he would have no problem accommodating the Chargers’ desire to retain several of their current assistants in order to keep continuity. He also said he would move immediately to retain Lynn.

White’s strength is on the offensive side of the ball. If named Charger coach, he would call his own plays. Like Walsh, he works especially well with quarterbacks.

“If they hire me,” he said Tuesday, “I would have to think that (quarterback expertise) would be one of the reasons.”

But White stopped short of evaluating the Charger quarterback situation, saying, “I don’t want somebody to misconstrue and say, ‘Who does that guy think he is? He doesn’t even have the job yet.’ ”

Charger Notes

Dave Levy, the Charger tight ends coach last season, has accepted a position as an offensive assistant with the Detroit Lions. Jerry Wampfler, the Charger offensive line coach, interviewed in Cleveland Tuesday for an offensive line opening there . . . Chicago assistant Johnny Roland will be in Indianapolis later this week at the scouting combine workouts. So will Steve Ortmayer. If the Chargers, want to continue talks with him about their head coaching job, they can do so there.