Schottenheimer fired

[bxbomb]

like woah

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A shocking playoff loss was the least of Marty Schottenheimer's worries.

Schottenheimer, who has 200 regular-season wins and no Super Bowl appearances, was fired as San Diego Chargers coach on Monday, a month after being told his job was safe despite another January collapse. Team president Dean Spanos interceded in what he called a "dysfunctional situation" between the coach who led San Diego to an NFL-best 14-2 record and his general manager.

Spanos said the exodus from Schottenheimer's staff -- two coordinators became NFL head coaches and two assistants became coordinators -- contributed to a difficult situation that resulted in the coach being fired. Schottenheimer is due more than $3 million for the final year on his contract.

While confirming he had no working relationship with general manager A.J. Smith, Schottenheimer seemed puzzled that Spanos made the coach take the fall for his assistants leaving.

"That is absolutely unfair, in my view," Schottenheimer told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "We had no control over two guys who became head coaches in this league. We gave two guys an opportunity to be coordinators in this league. We've added a couple of guys that people should be very pleased with. The future coach will be very pleased, as well."

The Smith-Schottenheimer feud has been well-publicized for a year now, although no one seems quite sure how it started. They're not saying.

"It was pretty apparent around here," said Schottenheimer, who was 47-33 in five seasons with the Chargers, including 35 wins and two AFC West titles in the last three seasons.

"It's very difficult to win in this league and it becomes particularly so, in my view, when everybody is not on the same page," Schottenheimer said. "I'm disappointed because we've made a lot of progress around here. But hey, it is not a particularly good environment for this head coach to work with this general manager."

Asked if Smith should share the blame, Schottenheimer said: "Uh, I'll leave that judgment to others."

Schottenheimer added: "There is and has been no relationship" with Smith.

Smith was promoted to GM in April 2003 after John Butler died of cancer.

It's believed that the Smith-Schottenheimer spat stems from personnel moves by the GM, including allowing Drew Brees to leave as a free agent a year ago after the quarterback hurt his shoulder in the 2005 season finale.

"I have no idea," Schottenheimer said. "I've made inquiries about it on a number of occasions and he said, 'I don't want to talk about it.' "

Schottenheimer's dismissal came after all other NFL head coaching vacancies were filled, and with the NFL scouting combine set to begin in a week.

Dean Spanos, known to be close friends with former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, and Smith said during a conference call that they plan to move quickly on hiring a replacement. Smith said he had a list of candidates, but refused to divulge names. Smith hinted, though, that the list could contain names of coaches who interviewed for but didn't get head coaching jobs in the last few seasons.

Every time Schottenheimer's job appeared to be in jeopardy, Pete Carroll's name would pop up. Although Carroll has said he's committed to staying at Southern California, he met with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga in early January.

Carroll said then he was not offered the Miami coaching job, and stressed he has never thought about leaving USC since arriving after the 2000 season.

Spanos said in a statement he had expected the core of Schottenheimer's coaching staff would remain intact.

"Events of the last month have now convinced me that it is not possible for our organization to function at a championship level under the current structure," Spanos said in a statement. "On the contrary, and in the plainest possible language, we have a dysfunctional situation here. Today I am resolving that situation once and for all."

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was hired as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron was hired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 19.

Tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski became Cleveland's offensive coordinator, and linebackers coach Greg Manusky was hired as San Francisco's defensive coordinator.

Schottenheimer said last week that change was inevitable, but Smith sounded concerned about losing the coordinators, saying, "Both in the same year. Wow."

Although Schottenheimer was given the power to hire and fire assistants, neither Spanos nor Smith provided specifics of what they kept referring to as an "untenable situation."

"We both wanted to win a world championship very badly," Smith said. "It's just that my approach might have been a little different than his."

Spanos said disagreements over future staffing was "part of it. It's more the actual working relationship that's been difficult."

Running backs coach Clarence Shelmon, who's never been a coordinator, was promoted to replace Cameron. Shelmon accepted only a one-year contract due to what had been Schottenheimer's lame-duck status.

Three days after a 24-21 playoff loss to New England, Schottenheimer declined the team's offer of a $4.5 million, one-year extension through 2008, which came with a club-option $1 million buyout. Spanos and Smith seemed angry the coach turned them down.

With a regular-season record of 200-126-1 with Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and San Diego, Schottenheimer is the most successful coach never to have reached the Super Bowl.

His 5-13 playoff record has taken on a life of its own. The loss to the Patriots was his sixth straight in the postseason dating to 1993, and the ninth time a Schottenheimer-coached team lost its opening playoff game. His teams have failed four times to capitalize on the home-field advantage that comes with owning the AFC's No. 1 seed.

Led by league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers were thought by many to be Super Bowl-caliber. But they had four turnovers and made numerous other mistakes in losing to the Patriots, their first defeat at home in the 2006 season.