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John Spytek and Klint Kubiak of the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Los Angeles Chargers have one of the best head coaches in the NFL in Jim Harbaugh, but they had to cycle through a few over the past decade before landing him.
Defensive guru Brandon Staley lasted nearly three years as the Chargers’ head coach, finishing with a .500 record of 24-24 before getting fired in 2023. Before Staley was Anthony Lynn, went 33-31 from 2017-2020 as Los Angeles’ head man.
From 2013-2016, Mike McCoy was at the helm for the Chargers. McCoy compiled a 27-37 record during that stretch. According to a report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero, McCoy is returning to the AFC West to serve as assistant head coach with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders are hiring Mike McCoy as assistant head coach, per sources.
McCoy, 53, spent four years as the Chargers’ head coach and finished last season as the Titans’ interim coach. An experienced addition to Klint Kubiak’s staff.
Los Angeles Chargers will face their former HC Mike McCoy twice in 2026
The Raiders recently hired Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to be their new head coach. Bringing in an experience, veteran coach like McCoy was a smart move by Kubiak, who is venturing out on his first head coaching gig. McCoy spent the 2025 season with the Tennessee Titans.
He was originally hired by the Titans to be a senior offensive assistant, but he quickly found himself as interim head coach after Tennessee fired Brian Callahan in Week 7. McCoy went 2-9 in that role. The Titans finished 31st in total offense, but there wasn’t much McCoy could do other than hold things down until the season ended.
McCoy is now on his third AFC West team. Before getting the head coaching job with the Chargers, he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach with the Denver Broncos from 2009-2012. When McCoy was let go by Los Angeles, he returned to Denver as offensive coordinator for the 2017 season.
Competition in AFC West is as stiff as ever
Getty(Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Things shifted dramatically in the AFC West in 2025, as the Kansas City Chiefs not only failed to win the division for the first time in nine years, but they finished with a losing 6-11 record. The Broncos won the division at 14-3, and the Chargers went 11-6 for the second consecutive season. Los Angeles also went one-and-done in the playoffs for the second straight year.
The Chargers will have to step it up even more in 2026 if they are going to finally make a run at a Super Bowl. Denver is a young, talented team that should remain a force for the foreseeable future, and the Chiefs likely won’t be down for long. The Raiders are a bit of a wild card, but if they can finally hit on a quarterback, they will competitive at the least.
Los Angeles has made some changes of its own to its coaching staff, such as hiring Mike McDaniel as the new offensive coordinator and Adam Gase as a passing game specialist. Injuries, particularly along the offensive line, hampered the Chargers in a big way last season. If they can stay healthy and elevate their game with a fresh offensive system in place, the Chargers have as good of a shot as any other AFC West team to win the division and make a run at a championship.
Nick Roesch Nick Roesch covers the NFL for Heavy Sports, with a focus on the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Chargers. He previously covered the Chiefs for USA TODAY Sports’ Chiefs Wire, and all 32 NFL teams for A to Z Sports. Roesch’s career in sports media spans 10 years. More about Nick Roesch
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