Los Angeles Chargers Announce Coaching Staff Additions

NaVorro Bowman

The Los Angeles Chargers today announced multiple additions to Head Coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff for the 2024 season. Along with the additions, which are listed below, Special Teams Coordinator Ryan Ficken, Assistant Special Teams Coach Chris Gould and Defensive Quality Control Coach Robert Muschamp will continue in their roles on the coaching staff.

Andy Bischoff brings extensive coaching experience to the Chargers as run game coordinator/tight ends coach. He coached the tight ends for the New York Giants from 2022-23 and Houston Texans in 2021, helping the Giants in 2022 reach their first postseason appearance since 2016. He spent six seasons (2015-20) with Baltimore in a variety of roles on offense, working primarily with the tight ends over his final four years with the Ravens. Bischoff was the assistant tight ends coach from 2019-20, helping Mark Andrews lead all NFL tight ends with 17 touchdown catches over that span.

Prior to his time in Baltimore, Bischoff spent two seasons with the Chicago Bears as tight ends coach/staff coordinator (2013-14). He worked in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes as a running backs/offensive quality control coach from 2008-09, adding special teams responsibilities to those duties from 2010-12. Bischoff began his coaching career at Cretin-Derham Hall High, coaching there from 1993-2007. He coached 18 offensive linemen and three tight ends to earn Division I scholarships, including former NFL players Matt Birk, Ryan Harris and Michael Floyd.

NaVorro Bowman, a four-time Associated Press first-team All-Pro at linebacker with over 100 career games played, makes his NFL coaching debut with the Bolts aslinebackers coach. He is reunited with Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, who coached him for four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers to earn three of his AP first-team All-Pro selections and a pair of Pro Bowl nods. Bowman was one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive players during his career, totaling over 800 tackles, 16.5 sacks and five interceptions in the regular and postseason combined. He was a third-round selection of the 49ers in the 2010 NFL Draft (91st overall) out of Penn State, playing seven-plus seasons with San Francisco before finishing his career with Oakland. Following his retirement in 2018, Bowman got his start coaching last season at the University of Maryland as a defensive analyst.

A 23-year coaching veteran at the collegiate level, Steve Clinkscale comes to Los Angeles to coach defensive backs after a three-season tenure as secondary coach at the University of Michigan (2021-23). He added co-defensive coordinator responsibilities last season, helping lead the top-ranked defense in college football, allowing just 247.0 total net yards per game as the Wolverines posted a 15-0 record and finished by winning the College Football Playoff National Championship. Prior to his time at Michigan, Clinkscale coached defensive backs at the University of Kentucky for five seasons (2016-20) and at the University of Cincinnati for three seasons (2013-15), adding defensive coordinator responsibilities for the Bearcats his final season. He got his start in coaching as defensive backs coach at his alma mater, Ashland University, from 2001-07 before coaching defensive backs at Western Carolina in 2008. Clinkscale then spent three seasons at Toledo (2009-11) as cornerbacks coach/special teams coordinator before coaching cornerbacks at Illinois in 2012.

Shane Day returns to the Chargers as quarterbacks coach after spending the 2023 season with the Houston Texans as a senior offensive assistant. He helped quarterback C.J. Stroud win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors from The Associated Press after eclipsing 4,000 passing yards and totaling 23 touchdown passes to lead the Texans to an AFC South title and a playoff victory. Day spent two seasons with the Bolts as passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach (2021-22), coaching quarterback Justin Herbert in 2021 to a Pro Bowl selection after setting single-season franchise records in completions (443), passing yards (5,014), passing touchdowns (38) and games with 300-plus passing yards (nine).

Before his time with the Bolts, Day coached quarterbacks for the San Francisco 49ers from 2019-20. He tutored quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in 2019 to lead the 49ers to Super Bowl LIV and be named NFL Comeback Player of the Year by Sporting News. Day began his NFL coaching career with San Francisco as an offensive quality control coach from 2007-09 before coaching quarterbacks for Chicago (2010-11). After a two-season tenure coaching quarterbacks at the University of Connecticut (2012-13), Day returned to the NFL as an assistant offensive line coach for Washington from 2014-15 and then coaching tight ends for Miami from 2016-18.

Mike Devlin brings 21 years of NFL coaching experience to the Bolts as offensive line coach, a position he’s held with the New York Jets and Houston Texans for a total of eight seasons. He most recently spent two years (2022-23) as the assistant offensive line coach for the Baltimore Ravens, helping guard Kevin Zeitler and center Tyler Linderbaum to Pro Bowl nods this past season. In 2022, Devlin coached Linderbaum to start all 17 regular-season games and be recognized as an All-Rookie selection from the Professional Football Writers Association. 

Devlin was the offensive line coach for the Houston Texans (2015-20) and New York Jets (2013-14) before his time in Baltimore. He coached Nick Mangold (two), Laremy Tunsil (two) and Duane Brown (one) to earn Pro Bowl selections. Devlin coached tight ends for the Jets from 2006-12, his first appointment as an NFL position coach, after coaching the offensive line at the University of Toledo for two years (2004-05). The 1992 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year at the University of Iowa, Devlin was a fifth-round selection by the Buffalo Bills, playing there from 1993-95 before playing four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals (1996-99). Following his pro career, Devlin got his start at coaching with the Cardinals as the assistant offensive line coach from 2000-03.

A 27-year coaching veteran, Mike Elston comes to Los Angeles to coach the defensive line after holding the same position while also working as a recruiting coordinator the last two seasons at the University of Michigan, his alma mater. He coached a Wolverines defensive line in 2023 that was part of the top-ranked defense in the country, allowing just 17 touchdowns on the season and averaging 247.0 yards allowed and 10.4 points allowed per game. Elston played outside linebacker at Michigan from 1993-96, before beginning his coaching career with the Wolverines, working for the program from 1997-2000 in various capacities. He was a student assistant coach in 1997 for the program’s National Championship campaign. The next year, he was a video intern before working as a graduate assistant coach from 1999-2000, working with the outside linebackers.

Elston then coached defensive ends during the 2001 season at Eastern Michigan before switching to recruiting coordinator/defensive line coach (2002-03). He went to Central Michigan to coach the defensive line in 2004, adding co-defensive coordinator duties in 2005 before transitioning to special teams coordinator/linebackers coach in 2006 for the Chippewas. Elston moved on to Cincinnati, coordinating the special teams from 2007-09 while also coaching tight ends for his first two seasons and defensive line for his third season with the Bearcats. In his final stop before his return to Michigan, Elston coached at the University of Notre Dame from 2010-21, tutoring the defensive line nine seasons (2010-14, ’17-21) and the linebackers from 2015-16. He held numerous additional roles for the Fighting Irish, including special teams coordinator (2010-11), recruiting coordinator (2015-17, ’21), associate head coach (2018-20) and run game coordinator (2021).

With 17 years of NFL coaching experience, Sanjay Lal joins Los Angeles as the team’s wide receivers coach after working as the passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach for the Seattle Seahawks from 2022-23. He coached wide receiver DK Metcalf to Pro Bowl selection after a 1,000-yard season and eight touchdowns in 2023. Lal coordinated a passing attack in 2022 that featured AP Comeback Player of the Year Geno Smith to register a 100.9 passer rating by throwing 30 touchdowns and recording 4,282 passing yards, while both Metcalf and wide receiver Tyler Locket each topped 1,000 receiving yards. Lal was also a senior offensive assistant for the Seahawks during the 2020 season.

Lal coached wide receivers for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2021), Dallas Cowboys (2018-19), Indianapolis Colts (2017), Buffalo Bills (2015-16), New York Jets (2012-14) and Oakland Raiders (2007-11). He helped Amari Cooper to back-to-back Pro Bowls in his two seasons in Dallas, while also coaching T.Y. Hilton to an all-star selection in his lone season with the Colts. Before joining the NFL ranks, Lal was an offensive assistant/quarterbacks coach at the University of California from 2004-06. He coached wide receivers at Los Medanos College in 2003 before spending time in 2004 at St. Mary’s College as quarterbacks/strength, speed & conditioning coach. Lal played college football at the University of Washington, helping the Huskies win the 1992 National Championship. He spent time as a player with the Raiders and Rams, along with the Scottish Claymores.

Rick Minter brings over 40 seasons of coaching experience to the Bolts as senior defensive analyst, most recently spending time at the University of Michigan as a defensive analyst for two seasons (2022-23), adding interim linebackers coach responsibilities the final five games of the 2023 season. He was the head coach at the University of Cincinnati from 1994-2003, leading the Bearcats to three-straight Bowl games during his tenure. Minter then was the defensive coordinator at South Carolina (2004), Notre Dame (2005-07) and Marshall (2008-09), before adding interim head coach responsibilities for Marshall, leading the Thundering Herd to a victory in the Little Caesars Bowl following the 2009 season.

In the first NFL experience of his career, Minter coached linebackers for the Philadelphia Eagles for three seasons (2013-15). He helped the Eagles win the NFC East in his first year and tutored Connor Barwin to earn Pro Bowl recognition and an AP first-team All-Pro selection following the 2014 season. Minter began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Henderson State in 1977. He held the same title at Arkansas in 1978 prior to coaching defensive ends at Louisiana Tech and North Carolina State. Minter spent one season (1984) coaching linebackers at New Mexico State before becoming defensive coordinator at Ball State from 1985-91 and Notre Dame from 1992-93.

Following a six-season tenure at the University of Notre Dame (2018-23), Chris O’Leary comes to Los Angeles to coach safeties for the Chargers. He worked as a defensive analyst his first two seasons in South Bend, Ind., before spending 2020 coaching Rovers and then, ultimately, working as the defensive backs coach/safeties from 2021-23. This past season, O’Leary tutored safety Xavier Watts, a converted wide receiver, to lead the nation with seven interceptions and win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is annually presented to the top defensive player in college football. Known for developing talented players, O’Leary also coached eventual first-round selections in safety Kyle Hamilton and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who he tutored as Rovers Coach in 2020, to All-American recognition. O’Leary played wide receiver at Indiana State from 2011-14 and then began his coaching career at Georgia State from 2015-16 before coaching safeties at Florida Tech in 2017.

An up-and-coming defensive coach, Dylan Roney comes to Los Angeles as a defensive assistant after serving as a graduate assistant the past three seasons at the University of Michigan. In Ann Arbor, Mich., Roney assisted Mike Elston with the defensive line, specifically working with edge rushers, including eventual No. 2 overall draft choice Aidan Hutchinson during his unanimous All-American season in 2021. Roney assisted on a defensive coaching staff that oversaw the top-ranked unit in the country in 2023, allowing just 17 touchdowns on the season and averaging 247.0 yards allowed and 10.4 points allowed per game.

Roney began his playing career at Navy before transferring to Ferris State, where he helped lead the Bulldogs to three consecutive NCAA Division II Playoff appearances, including getting to the semifinals as a junior in 2016. Roney then got his start in coaching, joining the Ferris State coaching staff in 2018 before spending the 2019 season at Western Kentucky as a defensive graduate assistant. He then went to work as a defensive analyst at the University of Illinois, a role he held in 2020 before joining the Michigan staff in 2021.

A 36-year coaching veteran, including 26 in the NFL, Marc Trestman brings his expertise to the Chargers as a senior offensive assistant. One of the top offensive coaches throughout his career, Trestman was the head coach for the Chicago Bears from 2013-14. In his first season with the Bears, he led the offense to rank No. 2 in the NFL in scoring offense, averaging 27.8 points per game. Trestman was a two-time head coach in the CFL, leading the Montreal Alouettes from 2008-12 and Toronto Argonauts from 2017-18. He was twice recognized as CFL Coach of the Year (2009 and 2017) and led his teams to a combined three Grey Cup Championships.

Trestman’s most recent NFL appointment was as offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens, leading the unit from 2015-16. He led the Baltimore offense to rank eighth in passing offense his first season, averaging 266.9 net passing yards per game. Trestman was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders from 2001-03, helping Rich Gannon win MVP in 2002 as the Raiders appeared in Super Bowl XXXVII. An assistant on Trestman’s offensive staff, particularly helping with the quarterbacks, was current Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh in his first coaching job following his 15-year playing career. Trestman also was offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for North Carolina State (2005-06), Arizona Cardinals (1998-2000), San Francisco 49ers (1995-96) and Cleveland Browns (1988-89). He has coached quarterbacks for the Detroit Lions (1997), Minnesota Vikings (1990-91), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1987) and University of Miami (1983-84), while also coaching running backs for the Vikings from 1985-86.