Arnsparger Offered a Job With Chargers : Pro football: Ross wants the former Dolphins assistant, now the athletic director at Florida, to be Chargers defensive coordinator.
Bill Arnsparger, who has been away from professional football since 1983, has been offered the opportunity to become the Chargers’ defensive coordinator, it was learned Thursday.
Chargers Coach Bobby Ross left San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium on Wednesday for a private meeting with Arnsparger after it became apparent that Rod Rust, New England’s coordinator of pro scouting, would not accept the team’s offer to direct the defense.
Arnsparger, presently the University of Florida athletic director, has been in Anaheim this week for the NCAA’s annual convention. He was expected to visit San Diego this weekend before making a decision on the Chargers’ offer.
Arnsparger was unavailable for comment.
Meanwhile, Ross on Thursday hired John Fox, a former San Diego State defensive back, as secondary coach and met with Keith Gilbertson, University of Washington offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, who also worked as quarterback John Friesz’s head coach at the University of Idaho.
Ross has interviewed Monte Clark, former Detroit and San Francisco coach, and Carl Mauck, of Tampa Bay, for the offensive line position, but Gilbertson is now considered the favorite to be offered the job.
Ross said he does not intend to hire an offensive coordinator. He will have a passing game coordinator, which will be quarterbacks coach Jack Reilly, and a running game coordinator, which is expected to be Gilbertson. Reilly will call the plays on game day.
Gilbertson, 43, worked with Miami Coach Dennis Erickson at Idaho in 1982 and again in 1985. He replaced Erickson as coach in 1986 and led the Vandals to an 11-2 finish in 1988 with Friesz at quarterback.
Ross interviewed Dale Lindsey, former Tampa Bay linebackers coach, and he will talk today with Bob Karmelowicz, University of Miami defensive line coach. If Arnsparger and Georgia Tech defensive assistant George O’Leary accept Ross’ job offers, the hiring of either Lindsey or Karmelowicz will complete the defensive staff.
The Chargers talked to Arnsparger last year about returning to pro football as a defensive line coach, but he said he was more interested in becoming a defensive coordinator if he was to leave Florida.
Arnsparger, 65, left the Miami Dolphins after working 20 years in the NFL to become LSU’s head coach in 1984. In 1987 he left coaching to become athletic director at Florida.
Arnsparger was the architect of Miami’s “no-name defense” in the early 1970s, and later the “Killer B’s defense” in the early ‘80s. He earned a game ball in Super Bowl VIII after his defense allowed only 150 points in 1973. He has coached in five Super Bowls.
He left the Dolphins in 1974 to become the New York Giants’ head coach, but returned to Miami midway through the 1976 season after being released by New York. Arnsparger’s record with the Giants was 7-28, including an 0-7 start to the 1976 season.
While the Chargers wait on Arnsparger’s decision, they have gone ahead and have started rebuilding their defensive staff with Fox.
“It’s a little unusual to not know who the defensive coordinator is going to be,” Fox said, “but I have great respect for Bobby Ross and Bobby Beathard, and I feel I can work for most anybody.”
Fox, 36, played for the Aztecs (1975-1977) and went on to begin his coaching career at U.S. International (1979). He has been coaching the Steelers’ secondary since 1989.
“Regardless of what the time frame was in Pittsburgh for hiring a new staff, I felt like the Charger opportunity was a good one and it was something I didn’t want to let go by,” Fox said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to come back to San Diego. (Former Chargers coach) Sid Gillman was athletic director at U.S. International, and he gave me my first coaching job.”