Fired NFL head coaches often land on their feet, and sometimes, they even slip into the same shoes. Ken Whisenhunt, who was fired from the Tennessee Titans, is headed back to the San Diego Chargers.
According to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Whisenhunt will reclaim his role as the offensive coordinator.
Whisenhunt spent the 2013 season as the OC for Philip Rivers and Co, before accepting the head-coaching gig in Tennessee. He mustered a 3-21 record before receiving a pink slip.
The Chargers fired Frank Reich following a frustrating 2015 campaign. A season-ending injury to standout receiver Keenan Allen eliminated Rivers’ best weapon, while the offensive line battled also injuries throughout the unit.
Plus, Reich remained committed to getting rookie Melvin Gordon involved in the game, which never worked. Gordon tallied more than 60 yards or averaged five per carry just once.
Whisenhunt could help provide an answer to that problem.
In 2012 before Whisenhunt arrived — after being fired as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals — San Diego’s running game ranked No. 27 in the league. With him in 2013, the Chargers finished 13th. Since then, they’ve dropped to 30th and 31st in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Now, the rushing attacks of teams that Whisenhunt was the head coach were not as successful. We’ll find out in 2016 if the trend of success as an offensive coordinator continues, or if his brief San Diego tenure was an outlier.
Most importantly for the Chargers, though, they’re providing Rivers with a familiar and successful face. Since 2009, San Diego has made a single playoff appearance. It was, you guessed it, in 2013 with Whisenhunt.
Although the easy choice isn’t always the right long-term decision, Whisenhunt is a sensible option to coach Rivers and a potentially strong offense.