Chargers interview two for coaching job

Former coaches Shaw of Stanford, Vrabel of Titans bring number of candidates to 11.

The Chargers added two experienced coaches to the list of candidates to replace Brandon Staley on Thursday, interviewing David Shaw and Mike Vrabel.

They announced both meetings, bringing to 11 the number of people the Chargers have publicly identified in their search.

Shaw, 51, most recently was the coach at Stanford, where his teams went 96-54 in 12 years. He left that position following the 2022 season.

Before being promoted to coach, Shaw spent four years as the Cardinal’s offensive coordinator, working under Jim Harbaugh, who also interviewed with the Chargers.

Shaw and Harbaugh were together at the University of San Diego before that, raising the prospect that both eventually could end up with the Chargers next season.

Shaw first coached in the NFL in 1997 when he joined Philadelphia in quality control. He then spent four seasons with Oakland before moving on to Baltimore, where he coached quarterbacks and wide receivers.

Vrabel, 48, was fired this month after six years with the Tennessee Titans.

His teams finished 54-45 in the regular season and reached the playoffs three times.

Vrabel’s Titans lost each of their last three postseason games, however, and failed to advance the last two seasons, going 7-10 and 6-11.

He’s the second-most experienced coach the Chargers have met with after Harbaugh.

Each of the franchise’s last three coaches — Mike McCoy, Anthony Lynn and Staley — had no experience leading a team, except for Lynn serving as interim coach with the Buffalo Bills for one game at the end of the 2016 season.

Harbaugh is the biggest name on the Chargers’ list to date. He also interviewed with Atlanta, though the Falcons already have plans to meet a second time with Bill Belichick, according to the NFL Network.

If any other NFL teams have talked to Harbaugh, those discussions have not been revealed. Harbaugh also remains in negotiations with Michigan on a contract extension, according to reports.

The NFL Network reported that another former NFL coach, Dan Quinn, is expected to interview with the Chargers on Friday.

Quinn, 53, was 43-42 in five-plus seasons with Atlanta. He was fired five games into his sixth year, in October of 2020.

Under Quinn, the Falcons made the playoffs twice and advanced to the Super Bowl following the 2016 season.

That team blew a 28-3 third-quarter lead, however, and lost in overtime to New England, 34-28.

CBS Sports reported that Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris will interview with the Chargers on Saturday.