Jim Trotter of the San Diego Union-Tribune thinks that Marty Schottenheimer might have engineered his own firing. [Schottenheimer] had grown tired of his "dysfunctional" relationship with [GM A.J.] Smith and believed that, win or lose in 2007, he would not be back with the team the following year. Spanos had made it clear by his actions that his allegiance was with Smith, so Schottenheimer decided it was time to throw in his cards.According to Trotter, Schottenheimer didn't want to resign because he would lose his $4 million salary. He also knew team president Dean Spanos was against head coaches hiring relatives -- Spanos explained as much during Schottenheimer's 2002 interview -- and maybe that's why the head coach asked the team to interview his brother Kurt Schottenheimer for the defensive coordinator's job.
After going back and forth on this issue, Spanos eventually canned Schottenheimer, telling the head coach that "he had changed" and that "he had never seen Schottenheimer act in such a manner" and he "wasn't dealing with the same coach."
Trotter makes a good point when he suggests that Smith and Schottenheimer had not spoken in more than a year, so why would their relationship come to a head now? But why would the head coach want out?
Maybe Schottenheimer was looking past 2007 -- when his Chargers contract expired -- and like his chances at landing one of the jobs sure to come open next year (Cleveland, Jacksonville, Washington, New York).
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Don Zimmer the latest to interview for the Chargers job? Isn't he a little old?
If "Dandy Andy" and "Rehab McNabb" have a bad season, you might add Philly to the list of possible '08 destinations for Marty....
What a joke! If Marty really wanted to burn the Chargers he would have stayed. With the team on the brink of a Superbowl, if he brings them a championship he would have all the power. What could they do then? They couldn't fire him after winning a Superbowl. I think that's why AJ didn't want him there anymore. They were getting too close and it wasn't HIS guy bringing them to it. AJ is all about HIS guys. Just look at how he handled Brees, who was NOT drafted by him, but Rivers was. If he kept Brees last year they move on in the playoffs and possibly win a SB. Rivers played like the unseasoned player he is and they lost. Brees was the best QB in the NFL last year. You can't tell me he wouldn't have made a difference. Rivers will be good and possibly great later in his career, but they had an opportunity last year and should have gone with the proven vet.