Anthony Lynn

Lions OC Anthony Lynn: No Word From USC

September 30th, 2021 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

USC reportedly has Anthony Lynn on the radar. However, the Lions’ offensive coordinator says he hasn’t been contacted by anyone with the Trojans (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press).

Lynn says he remains completely focused on the Lions, who are still in search of their first win this year. At the same time, he declined to say whether he would consider the opportunity at USC after the season. While the athletic department has yet to reach out, it’s been reported that boosters have made contact.

Lynn, 52, spent four years as the Chargers’ head coach up until he was canned in January. Weeks later, he agreed to join Dan Campbell as the Lions’ OC, but Lynn initially planned to take the year off.

“I’ve been on the sideline since I was six years old. I have not had a break since I was six years old, literally, every single fall,” Lynn said over the summer. “I really had my mind made up that I was going to take a gap year travel a little bit, go see some other teams, visit some of the coaches that I know, and see how they’re doing things. I had made my mind up to sit out this year, but then when Dan called, you know, that changed everything.”

Eric Bieniemy has also been linked to the USC vacancy and some have wondered whether Urban Meyer could get in the mix. For his part, Meyer says he’s committed to the Jaguars.

Lions OC Anthony Lynn On USC Radar?

September 28th, 2021 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Anthony Lynn relocated to Detroit this offseason, doing so after a four-year Los Angeles stay. The longtime NFL coach would be interested in moving back to L.A., should a rather notable opportunity emerge.

USC boosters have reached out to Lynn about the school’s head coaching vacancy, Jim Trotter of NFL.com tweets. While no official contact between the parties has taken place, Trotter adds Lynn would be interested in the high-profile college position.

Lynn, 52, has been an NFL lifer, playing eight seasons as a running back before breaking into coaching the year he retired (2000). He has not skipped an NFL season since, though he planned to this year after the Chargers fired him in January. The Lions hired Lynn as their OC soon after his Bolts ouster, and he has returned to a play-calling role.

Eric Bieniemy joined Lynn on the USC radar, while speculation has linked Urban Meyer to the job — to the point the Jaguars HC has needed to deny rumors about him returning to the college ranks. Bieniemy would join Lynn in being interested, though he obviously did not indicate this publicly. It is also unclear if either would take the job if it meant leaving their current post before season’s end. That would almost certainly be necessary.

Anthony Lynn Originally Planned To Sit Out 2021

July 6th, 2021 at 3:49pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Often times when NFL head coaches get fired, they sit out the following season to regroup and plot their next move. Not Anthony Lynn.

Lynn moved quickly after he was let go by the Chargers, accepting a role on Dan Campbell’s inaugural Lions staff as his offensive coordinator. But apparently Lynn’s original plan was in fact to sit out the 2021 season, he revealed on a recent episode of ‘Compas on the Beat’ podcast, via Fernando Ramirez of SI.com. “I was actually going to sit this year out, but when they called, I had to go because I wanted to be a part of that. I knew it’s going to be something special,” he said.

“I’ve been on the sideline since I was six years old. I have not had a break since I was six years old, literally, every single fall,” Lynn explained. “I really had my mind made up that I was going to take a gap year travel a little bit, go see some other teams, visit some of the coaches that I know, and see how they’re doing things. I had made my mind up to sit out this year, but then when Dan called, you know, that changed everything.”

Not to question Lynn’s sincereness, but he did also talk to the Seahawks about their OC opening, so it appears Campbell might not have been the only coach he was willing to work for. Either way, his fondness for Campbell seems very real. Lynn was the running backs coach of the 2005 Cowboys team that Campbell played on, so there was already a connection here.

Lynn has never been a full-time OC in the league, and wasn’t the primary play-caller during his time as Chargers head coach, so it’ll be very interesting to see how things work out in Detroit. He’s got Jared Goff at his disposal for his first season.

NFC Notes: Lynn, Lions, Goldman, Bears, Gardeck, Cardinals

February 15th, 2021 at 10:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Lions got Jared Goff back in the blockbuster Matthew Stafford trade, but with all their newfound draft capital they very well may take another passer early. They’ve got the seventh overall pick in April, plus two future first-rounders from the Rams now. Even if they do draft a young quarterback, it sounds like new offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn would prefer Goff to play initially. After acknowledging that if there were a dramatic difference in training camp he would have to play the better player to keep the locker room, Lynn explained his belief that a rookie quarterback should sit at first, via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.

“I’d love to see that rookie sit and watch for a little while. If he could watch for half the season or watch for the first year like Patrick Mahomes did (behind Alex Smith), I believe he can learn so much from the right veteran quarterback because a lot of rookies come into this league and they’re not ready,” the Lions’ new offensive play-caller said. “The speed of the game is twice as fast as it was in college and they don’t have success. And in today’s environment with social media things get out of whack and some of these guys lose their confidence and, hell, they never get it back. So if I can sit a rookie, I will. If I can.”

Of course, Lynn was the head coach of the Chargers this past year when they initially started Tyrod Taylor over first-round pick Justin Herbert. An injury knocked out Taylor after only one game, and Herbert took the job and never looked back.

Here’s more from the NFC:

Many teams lost full-time starters due to COVID-19 opt outs for 2020, including the Bears with defensive tackle Eddie Goldman. Goldman started at least 15 games at nose tackle in each of the three previous seasons for Chicago before sitting out this past year. Fortunately for the Bears, new defensive coordinator Sean Desai said Monday that the team believes they’ll have him back in 2021, per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com. Due to the league’s opt-out rules, Goldman’s contract, which owes him $4.75MM next year, tolled to 2021 automatically.
Cardinals outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck had a breakout 2020 season when he recorded seven sacks, but unfortunately it ended in injury. He was placed on injured reserve with a couple of games left to go, but we didn’t know at the time how severe it was. In an Instagram post last month, Gardeck revealed it was a torn ACL that he suffered. An UDFA in 2018 out of D2 school Sioux Falls, he was just a special teamer his first two years. He still was only getting limited snaps this past year but made the most of them, racking up the seven sacks despite playing less than ten percent of the defensive snaps. He had three multi-sack games. Unfortunately due to how late his ACL tear came, he should be considered questionable for Week 1 right now.
In case you missed it, the 49ers are reportedly either going to take a ‘big swing’, or stick with Jimmy Garoppolo.

This Date In Transactions History: Chargers Extend HC Anthony Lynn

February 13th, 2021 at 11:31am CST by Ben Levine

Oh, how much can change in a year. On this date literally last year, the Chargers officially signed head coach Anthony Lynn to a one-year extension that would keep him in Los Angeles through the 2021 season. If you’ve been following along at home since the end of the regular season, Lynn is no longer the head coach of the Chargers.

Let’s recap where the Chargers were on February 13, 2020. The team was coming off an ugly 5-11 campaign, the worst record of Lynn’s (then) three seasons with the team. Naturally, the head coach found himself on the hot seat, but the organization quickly killed that narrative by handing Lynn a one-year extension. The vote of confidence made a bit of sense; Lynn had some success during his first two years at the helm, guiding the Chargers to a 21-11 record and a playoff victory. Plus, as GM Tom Telesco noted following the 2019 season, the team’s abysmal play shouldn’t have been attributed to coaching. Rather, the 2019 Chargers dealt with a long list of injuries and inconsistent quarterback play from Philip Rivers.

Of course, in hindsight, the one-year extension should have been the writing on the wall. If the organization was truly committed to their head coach, they would have given him a lengthier extension. Instead, they effectively made the 2020 campaign a “prove-it” season for Lynn (or, if the organization hadn’t ultimately fired him, they basically just delayed his lame-duck status for one year). In other words, the front office was clearly already preparing for a potential coaching change when they handed Lynn his extension last year.

The Chargers would get off to a brutal 3-9 start to begin the 2020 campaign, with six of those losses being decided by less than a touchdown. Naturally, those close losses landed on the lap of the head coach. Despite a four-game winning streak to end the season and incredible play from rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, Lynn was fired by the Chargers back in January.

It didn’t take long for Lynn to find another gig. After discussing a role with the Seahawks, the 52-year-old ended up joining the Lions as the offensive coordinator on Dan Campbell‘s new staff. The Chargers pivoted to a defensive-minded coach to replace Lynn, hiring Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley to be the 17th head coach in franchise history.

On this date in 2020, maybe there was some optimism that Lynn could end up sticking around in Los Angeles (although the comment section of our article tells a different story). In reality, it was a clear sign that the Chargers were already planning for a future with a different head coach.

Lions, Anthony Lynn Finalizing OC Deal

January 23rd, 2021 at 4:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions will go with the most experienced coach in their offensive coordinator search pool. They are finalizing a deal with Anthony Lynn, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic tweets.

Lynn spent the past four seasons as the Chargers’ head coach and was the Bills’ OC in 2016. Lynn joined several position coaches in the running for the Detroit job and was linked to the Seattle OC position as well. But his bounce-back opportunity will come in the Motor City.

This will be a reunion between Lynn and new Lions HC Dan Campbell. During Campbell’s playing career, he was with the Cowboys in 2005. Lynn coached Dallas’ running backs that season, during a 14-year run as an NFL running backs coach. This connection helped bring Lynn to Detroit, with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com noting (via Twitter) Lynn wanted to work with Campbell and DC Aaron Glenn again. Officially hired as Lions DC Saturday, Glenn was also on the 2005 Cowboys’ roster.

Lynn, 52, beat out Ravens QBs coach James Urban, former Jets OC John Morton, Steelers wideouts coach Ike Hilliard and Bills QBs coach Ken Dorsey for this post. The former Chargers HC brings far more experience than this lot of position coaches and will be in position to call plays again — something he did not do this past season with the Chargers.

While Lynn was not the Bolts’ primary play-caller during his stay as their head coach, each of the team’s four offenses in this time ranked in the top 11 in total yardage. This past season began a promising new chapter for the Chargers, who saw Justin Herbert break out quicker than expected — en route to becoming the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite — under the tutelage of Lynn and OC Shane Steichen.

The veteran coach will now attempt to lead a Lions offense in transition. Matthew Stafford remains under contract but has been mentioned in trade speculation, with the Lions having hired a new coach and GM this month. The Lions also have starting wideouts Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones set for free agency.

Anthony Lynn, Ken Dorsey On Lions’ Radar

January 21st, 2021 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

After hiring Aaron Glenn as defensive coordinator, the Lions are moving fast on their offensive coordinator job. Two more candidates have emerged for Detroit’s play-calling post.

Former Chargers HC Anthony Lynn and current Bills QBs coach Ken Dorsey are on Detroit’s radar for this position, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. New Lions HC Dan Campbell said he has interviewed four OC candidates already, per Birkett (on Twitter). Ravens QBs coach James Urban and Steelers wide receivers instructor Ike Hilliard are in the mix for the gig.

This makes two OC positions to which Lynn has been connected. He has also engaged in discussions with Pete Carroll regarding Seattle’s play-calling role. Lynn, 52, spent the past four seasons as the Chargers’ head coach. The Bolts fired him shortly after the season ended, moving to Brandon Staley.

Lynn took the Chargers to the playoffs in 2018, with a 12-4 record, and oversaw Justin Herbert‘s rapid development this past season. However, Lynn was not the Bolts’ primary play-caller. He spent most of the 2016 season calling plays in Buffalo, after an early-season promotion to offensive coordinator.

A former decorated college quarterback, Dorsey has been an NFL QBs coach since the 2013 season. He is one of many players and staffers to migrate from Charlotte to Buffalo, working as Panthers QBs coach for five seasons before signing on with the Bills to work in that same role in 2019.

The centerpiece of Dorsey’s credentials for a coordinator move will obviously be Josh Allen‘s rise from inaccurate prospect to MVP candidate over the past year. However, Dorsey was also with Carolina during the franchise’s most recent Super Bowl season — when Cam Newton soared to MVP honors in 2015. Dorsey, 39, interviewed for the Bills’ OC position in 2017 but has worked under current Buffalo play-caller Brian Daboll over the past two seasons.

Seahawks, Anthony Lynn Discussing OC Role

January 15th, 2021 at 2:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not long after the Chargers fired Anthony Lynn, the veteran coach is expected to have options to return as an offensive coordinator for the 2021 season. The four-year Bolts HC is under consideration for multiple OC jobs, according to ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter).

Thus far, Lynn has been most closely connected to the Seahawks. He has spoken with Pete Carroll about the job, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report (via Twitter). It does not sound like Lynn has committed to coaching next season, but he will be an option in Seattle. Lynn, 52, has coached in every season since his playing career ended in 2000.

The Seahawks fired three-year OC Brian Schottenheimer earlier this week; Lynn is the first name to be connected to the NFC West champions. While other names may emerge, Russell Wilson wants a say in the team’s next play-calling hire.

“I think it’s vital, it’s critical, super significant, obviously, that I’m a part of that process,” Wilson said, via ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson. “Coach and I have definitely been talking about that, [GM John Schneider] too as well. We’ve had some … great dialogue about the thought process of who we want, the leader … the innovator, all that kind of different stuff that you want. I think that’s the super-critical thing, obviously at this point in my career because you spend every day with that person.”

Prior to becoming the Chargers HC in the team’s first season back in Los Angeles, Lynn served as offensive coordinator in Buffalo. However, Lynn took over early in the 2016 season after the Bills fired Greg Roman. Prior to that season, Lynn primarily served as a running backs coach. Lynn coached running backs for five teams from 2003-16 before rising to the coordinator level. He was not the primary play-caller in Los Angeles, but the offense-oriented head coach oversaw four straight top-11 offenses in L.A. OC Shane Steichen called the Bolts’ plays this season.

Chargers Fire Anthony Lynn

January 4th, 2021 at 10:45am CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers and Anthony Lynn are parting ways. On Monday morning, the Chargers formally announced that their head coach has been relieved of his duties.

The Chargers had a great deal of respect for Lynn and they were reportedly 50/50 on whether to keep him. But, after huddling up on Monday, Bolts brass decided to move on.

Lynn went 9-7 his first year as the Chargers’ head coach, followed by a 12-4 showing and a playoff win in Year Two. Things took a turn after that, however. The Chargers went just 5-11 last season and 7-9 in 2020, losing a mind-boggling amount of close games both times. The slide continued this year, thanks in part to some in-game blunders by Lynn. The Chargers rallied a bit after getting bumped from playoff contention, but it wasn’t enough to save Lynn’s job.

The Chargers job should hold lots of appeal, and not just because they’re in sunny Los Angeles. Rookie quarterback Justin Herbert has been a revelation. Herbert, 22, set the rookie record for passing touchdowns while posting the second-highest total in passing yards. There’s also ample cap room, plus skill position and defensive talent. That includes All-Pro safety Derwin James, who is set to return after losing the 2020 season to injury.

Latest On Chargers, Anthony Lynn

January 3rd, 2021 at 7:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

As the regular season winds down, we’ve got a pretty good sense of what’s going to happen with all the coaching decisions. One of the only things still truly up in the air is the status of Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn. Apparently no decision has been made, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network says that’ll be the case until Los Angeles brass gets together on Monday (Twitter video link).

To that end, Lynn is the “biggest wild card” of the coaching carousel, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Fowler adds that people he’s talked to around the league believe it’s 50/50 as to whether Lynn gets brought back for a fifth season. There are apparently slight differences of opinion here, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports said during a Sunday morning TV hit that he believes Lynn will likely be a goner after Monday’s meeting (Twitter video link).

Lynn went 9-7 his first year and then 12-4 the following season, winning a playoff game, but things collapsed quickly after that. The Chargers went just 5-11 last season and 7-9 in 2020, losing a mind-boggling amount of close games both times. It looked in the middle of the season like Lynn was a lame-duck as he made a series of in-game blunders and the Chargers stood at 3-9.

But the team rallied right after getting eliminated from playoff contention, winning four straight and potentially saving Lynn’s job in the process. Justin Herbert has been a revelation in his rookie season, but the coaching has often been questionable to put it kindly.

If the gig were to open up it would look very attractive on paper, as Herbert looks like a star in the making while there’s a ton of talent at the skill positions and on defense. All-Pro safety Derwin James missed the entire 2020 campaign but should be returning to play at an elite level in 2021. We’ll know more about Lynn’s fate tomorrow.

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