Don Coryell: The Innovator Who Transformed Football

The Pro Football Hall of Fame finally righted a longstanding wrong on Saturday afternoon by inducting legendary coach Don Coryell. Known for his pioneering offensive schemes and aggressive vertical passing attacks, Coryell was a true football visionary who revolutionized the modern passing game. His induction comes after decades of being overlooked, despite a coaching career that left an indelible impact on pro football.

Coryell garnered 11 years of college coaching experience at several schools before getting hired at San Diego State in 1961. His teams boasted prolific offenses that helped the Aztecs win multiple small college national titles. He brought his innovative approach to the NFL with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973, designing the renowned system that would soon be known as "Air Coryell". This emphasized throwing the ball downfield with timed pass patterns, rather than simply running the ball as most teams did at the time. Coryell took advantage of the arm strength of quarterback Jim Hart and the talents of receivers like Mel Gray and Jackie Smith and saw the Cardinals' scoring output jump from 18 points per game in 1972 to 26 points per game in 1974.

When Coryell was hired by the San Diego Chargers in 1978, his aerial attack reached even greater heights. With Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts leading the charge, the Chargers lit up scoreboards to the delight of fans. The team averaged 26 points per game during Coryell's tenure, including multiple seasons above 28 points per game. The 1981 Chargers remain one of the highest-scoring teams ever, averaging over 30 points. 

Don Coryell has his place in football history. pic.twitter.com/aWqe2ybcId

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) August 6, 2023

Coryell spearheaded several important offensive concepts that are now commonplace in the NFL. He implemented the route tree numbering system for receivers and took advantage of passing lanes in zone coverage through timed routes. He also made the tight end a primary receiving threat, which allowed him to utilize Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow. Coryell turned passing offenses into a deep, dynamic, and multi-layered part of the game.

  

While Coryell will always be known for his offensive genius, he also achieved great success as a head coach overall. He led the Cardinals to three straight playoff appearances from 1974-1976, their first since 1948. With the Chargers, Coryell reached the playoffs four straight years from 1979-1982, including two AFC Championship games. His 111 career regular season NFL victories underscore his overall excellence. He was the first head coach to earn over 100 career wins at both the college and pro levels.

Don Coryell left a permanent imprint on the sport by revolutionizing offensive strategy and pushing football into the modern passing era. His long-awaited induction into the Hall of Fame immortalizes Coryell's contributions and recognizes him as one of the most influential coaches ever. Though overdue, his rightful enshrinement in Canton is a fitting honor for the innovator who changed football forever.

Finding Silver Linings In The 2016 Chargers Season

San Diego Chargers WR Tyrell Williams (#16)

Written By Kevin Kennedy

The 2016 season was another disappointing campaign for the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers went 4-12 in 2015, their worst record since 2003, in which they took Philip Rivers with the fourth pick in the following draft. Many felt like the 2015 season was a fluke, and that the Chargers would revamp and come back as a sneaky playoff contender in 2016. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

The Chargers started the season with a rough stretch of losing four of their first five games all by a touchdown or less. The Chargers 1-4 record was deceiving, as they clearly had enough talent to compete in games but simply could not find ways to win. The team would bounce back slightly, going 4-2 in their next six games, but then lose their next four. The Chargers are now destined to pick in the top 10 in the 2017 draft, where they could target a defensive lineman. Despite their disappointing season, there were silver linings for the Bolts.

Weekend Recap: Chargers blow 24-3 lead at Kansas City, Pumphrey & big plays lift Aztecs over Cal, Toreros fall at Cal Poly

Chargers' 4th quarter meltdown leads to 33-27 OT loss at Kansas City

KANSAS CITY (09/11/2016) Helix High alum Alex Smith's two-yard touchdown scramble in overtime provided the dagger for the biggest comeback in Kansas City Chiefs history.

The San Diego Chargers (0-1) led 27-10 late in the fourth quarter, but the Chiefs (1-0) rallied with 23 unanswered points to come away with the season-opening victory.

Things took a turn for the worse after Keenan Allen (6 catches for 63 yards) was carted off the field with a potential torn ACL.

Melvin Gordon ran in the first two touchdowns of his pro career to help put the Chargers up 14-3 early in the second quarter.

After a sack by Jerry Attaochu forced a three-and-out, Phillip Rivers found Danny Woodhead wide open in the end zone to extend the lead to 21-3 going into the half.

A 29-yard field goal by Josh Lambo made it 24-3, but the Chiefs struck back with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Tyreek Hill to cut the Bolts' lead to 24-10 with 2:47 left in the third.

Lambo nailed a 28-yarder to put the Chargers up 27-10 in the fourth quarter, but Smith's 19-yard strike to Jeremy Maclin sparked the 17-0 run that forced overtime.

Bears' fourth quarter rally stuns Chargers on Monday Night Football

QUALCOMM STADIUM (11/09/2015) The struggle continues for the San Diego Chargers (2-7) as they head into their bye week on a five-game losing streak.

The Chargers held a nine-point lead after a quiet third quarter, but was outscored 15-3 in the fourth as the Chicago Bears (3-5) escaped with a 22-19 win on Monday Night.

The dagger came when Jay Cutler found Zach Miller, who hauled in a one-handed catch for the 25-yard game-clinching touchdown with 3:19 left to play.

Phillip Rivers' attempt at a potential game-saving drive came up short after taking two sacks from Lamar Houston and throwing an incomplete pass on fourth-and-long.

The Chargers' offense got off to a great start, ending their opening drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to Woodhead.

Jason Verrett gave the Bolts a 13-0 lead after a 68-yard pick six in the second quarter, but the second-year cornerback left the game with a groin injury a play later.

Other notable injuries were WR Malcom Floyd (shoulder) and CB Patrick Robinson (neck).

Chargers' fourth quarter rally falls short against the Raiders

QUALCOMM STADIUM (10/25/2015) Led by outstanding performances from Derek Carr (24/31 for 289 yards & 3 TDs) and Amari Cooper (5 catches for 133 yards & 1 TD), the Oakland Raiders (3-3) pulled off a convincing win over the San Diego Chargers (2-5) in front of a Raider-dominated crowd Sunday afternoon.

After trailing 37-6 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Chargers went on a 23-0 run, but the Raiders held on for a 37-29 victory.

On just the third snap of the game, Phillip Rivers' pass was tipped and picked off by linebacker Malcolm Smith.

The play set up Latavius Murray's one-yard touchdown run that gave Oakland an early 7-0 lead.

Steelers spoil Gates' debut with last-second TD on Monday Night Football

QUALCOMM STADIUM (10/12/2015) Returning from a four-game suspension, Antonio Gates caught nine passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, but it was all for nothing as the San Diego Chargers (2-3) suffered a heart-breaking loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) 24-20.

On the final play of the game, Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell took a direct snap 1 yard to the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

“It was a tough loss,” Chargers head coach Mike McCoy said. “But we have a short week, we have to move on.”

The Chargers hit the road next Sunday to take on the undefeated Green Bay Packers.

Chargers rally to defeat Detroit 33-28 in season opener

QUALCOMM STADIUM (09/13/2015) The San Diego Chargers (1-0) opened the 2015 regular season with their largest comeback win at Qualcomm Stadium.

Trailing 21-3 midway through the second quarter, the Bolts put up 30 unanswered points, including a 13-yard go-ahead touchdown pass from Phillip Rivers to Ladarius Green with 11:49 left to play, sparking a 33-28 come-from-behind victory over the Detroit Lions (0-1).

It also tied Hall of Famer Dan Fouts' franchise record of 254 career touchdowns.

Rivers completed 35 of 42 passes for 404 yards and two touchdowns, but was picked off twice in the second half. The first pick bounced off Keenan Allen and was caught by Glover Quinn who returned it 31-yards for a touchdown, giving the Lions a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter.

Allen was the top target in the passing game with 166 yards and 15 catches that tied the franchise single-game record set by Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow back in 1984. It was also the most catches by a player in a season opener since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

Where does Philip Rivers rank among the NFL's top QBs?

There was a lot of talk about Philip Rivers during the offseason. Many people thought that his days were numbered in San Diego, but he's going to start 2015 as the signal caller once again for the franchise. He has a pretty steady arm, but he never really gets the respect he deserves. As we get ready for the upcoming season, where does he rank among the NFL’s elite?

In order to get in that upper echelon of quarterbacks in the NFL, a guy basically has to win a Super Bowl. That means Philip Rivers is always going to be on the outside looking in unless he can get some hardware. Players such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger have all hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. They are all on contending teams as well, so there is a chance that they add to their total this season.

Chargers TE Antonio Gates Suspended

SAN DIEGO (07/02/2015) San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has been suspended for the first four games of the 2015 regular season without pay. NFL officials say he violated the league's performance enhancing substances policy.

In released statement, Gates said he never knowingly ingested a banned substance, but he did take supplements to recover from last season and takes full responsibility for his actions.

"In my 12 years in the NFL, I have taken tremendous pride in upholding the integrity of the NFL shield and all the it entails", Gates said. "I'd like to express my sincere apologies to the Chargers, my teammates, coaches, fans and the league who have always supported me and expected and gotten nothing but the highest level of integrity from me."

Gates is still eligible to participate in off-season activities as well as preseason games. He is scheduled to return on October 12th during the Chargers' Monday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"We are tremendously disappointed for our team and our fans as well as Antonio, but no more disappointed than Antonio is with himself", said the Chargers in a released statement. "We have the upmost confidence he will stay in excellent shape for the season and be ready to go when he returns in Week 5."

San Diego Football Weekend Recap

Photo Credit: Jessica Smith

Much like Floyd Mayweather after his unanimous decision win over Manny Pacquiao, the San Diego Enforcers and San Diego Surge are still undefeated. The Chargers also completed their 2015 NFL Draft while some former local prep and collegiate standouts received a shot at the big leagues.

National Public Safety Football League

San Diego Enforcers (4-0) 15, New York's Finest (1-1) 14.

QUEENS, NY - The Enforcers' trip to the Big Apple was a huge success after squeaking out a 15-14 victory over the defending NPSFL national champion NYPD. It was the first time in 43 years that the NYPD was defeated at home by a team from outside of New York. Tied for first place in the NPSFL, a win over the LAPD Centurions on May 30th will clinch their second straight appearance in the national title game.

Chargers trade up to draft Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon

After losing Ryan Mathews to the Philadelphia Eagles during free agency, the San Diego Chargers found their much needed replacement by selecting Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon with the 15th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.

The Chargers sent a 2015 fourth-round pick and a 2016 fifth-rounder to the San Francisco 49ers in order to move up two spots from their original 17th pick. It was the first trade to take place in this year's draft.

Gordon led the country last season with 2,740 rushing yards. He also rushed for 408 yards against Nebraska, breaking an NCAA single-game record that was previously held by former Charger great LaDainian Tomlinson.

2015 San Diego Chargers Schedule

The National Football League announced its 17-week, 256-game regular-season schedule for 2015. In their 56th season, the San Diego Chargers will face their usual AFC West foes twice, the NFC North, AFC North, and the teams from the AFC South and AFC East that placed third last season.

The Chargers finished the 2014 season with a 9-7 record and missed the playoffs by one game.

2015 San Diego Chargers Free Agency

With the new fiscal year of the National Football League already off to a hot start, we keep track of the latest roster moves made by the San Diego Chargers.

Latest Update: 03/19/2015

Chargers' TE Antonio Gates Still Has It

In many ways, the 2014 NFL season was a frustrating one for the San Diego Chargers (9-7). This was a team that snuck into the playoffs last season and advanced to the divisional round, but this time they find themselves watching from home after being eliminated from contention during last Sunday's regular-season finale at Kansas City.

Even though they couldn't put it together as a team, some players individually shined all season long. Veteran tight end Antonio Gates was out to prove that his storied career wasn't a wrap just yet.

In fantasy football, Ladarius Green was a trendy pick to have a breakout season. The thought process was that age would catch up to Gates, who is in his mid-30's. However, from the very early part of the season, he was one of the most consistent playmakers for Philip Rivers.

Chargers knocked out of playoff contention by Kansas City

KANSAS CITY (12/28/2014) Propelled by a monster performance from linebacker Justin Houston, who sacked Phillip Rivers four times, the Kansas City Chiefs (9-7) earned a 19-7 victory to spoil the playoff hopes of the San Diego Chargers (9-7).

Kansas City took a 10-0 lead late in the second quarter after Chase Daniel's pass to Dwayne Bowe was fumbled at the goal line and recovered in the end zone by tight end Travis Kelce. The Chiefs went the entire season without completing a touchdown pass to a wide receiver.

Saturday Recap: Chargers comeback to stun 49ers in overtime, El Capitan's historic season ends with heartbreak

San Diego Chargers (9-6) 38

San Francisco 49ers (7-8) 35

FINAL OT

SANTA CLARA (12/20/2014) Nick Novak nailed a 40-yard field goal in overtime to give the San Diego Chargers (9-6) a 38-35 win over the San Francisco 49ers (7-8) on Saturday night, keeping them in contention for the AFC playoffs.

Trailing 28-7 after a brutal first half, the Chargers finished the game on a 31-7 scoring run to complete their biggest come-from-behind victory since 2006.

The 49ers scored on their fourth play from scrimmage with a 52-yard touchdown run by Frank Gore. They followed up with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Colin Kaepernick to Brue Ellington, and an interception returned 49 yards to the end zone by Antoine Bethea to take a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Phillip Rivers got the Chargers on the board with a 15-yard touchdown strike to Eddie Royal, but the 49ers answered back with a one-yard touchdown run by Ellington to end the half.

Sunday Recap: Chargers fall to Patriots on Sunday Night Football, 2014 Bowl Games Announced

Chargers doomed by scoreless second half

QUALCOMM STADIUM (12/07/2014) With a 16-14 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Tom Brady found Julian Edelman, who broke away from two tackles and scored a 69-yard touchdown. That proved to be the dagger as the New England Patriots (10-3) defeated the San Diego Chargers (8-5) 23-14 Sunday night.

The Chargers' offense was only able to score off a 15-yard pass from Phillip Rivers to Malcom Floyd. On the ensuing possession, Jahleel Addae's  forced fumble on Brandon LaFell was picked up by Darrell Stuckey and returned 53 yards to the end zone, giving the Chargers a 14-3 lead late in the second quarter.

The Bolt's defense played solid for almost the entire game. Brady's interception to Manti Te'o before halftime was followed by four straight three-and-outs. But a lack of offensive production in the second half allowed New England to seal the win with 20 unanswered points.

Next week the Chargers return home to take on the first place Denver Broncos (10-3), who could clinch the AFC West title with a win.

Chargers rally late to edge Ravens, 34-33

BALTIMORE, MD (11/30/2014) Trailing 27-33 with 2:22 left to play, Phillip Rivers led the San Diego Chargers on an eight-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a one-yard screen pass to Eddie Royal for the game-winning touchdown. The Nick Novak extra point gave them their first and only lead of the game.

The Baltimore Ravens (7-5) had 38 seconds to attempt a game-winning drive, but the Chargers (8-4) held on for the much needed win, making them the first West Coast team to beat the Ravens on their home field.

Rivers completed 34 passes for 383 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. The Chargers converted on their first eight third downs, finishing 9 for 7. The main target was Keenan Allen, who caught 11 passes for 121 yards and two scores. Malcom Floyd, Antonio Gates, and Royal contributed to the passing game with over 80 yards each.

Chargers overcome a strong effort from winless Raiders

 

OAKLAND (10/12/2014) Raiders rookie Derek Carr had an impressive performance throwing for 282 yards and four touchdowns, but his lone interception to rookie cornerback Jason Verrett with 1:52 left to play proved to be costly. The Oakland native's first career pick helped the San Diego Chargers (5-1) escaped the Black Hole with a 31-28 win on Sunday.

Carr had his way with the Chargers' defense all game, beginning with the opening drive. The rookie out of Fresno State found receiver Andre Holmes, who exploded with a long catch and run for a touchdown. The 77-yard strike was the Raiders' (0-5) longest play from scrimmage this season.

Chargers blank the Jets 31-0

Photo Credit: BobbyRubio.com

QUALCOMM STADIUM (10/05/2014) After running back Donald Brown left the game with a concussion, Branden Oliver took over and gave the injury-plagued run game a much needed boost.

The rookie free agent out of Buffalo carried the ball 19 times for 114 yards and added four catches for 68 yards in his breakout performance. He also recorded his first two career touchdowns as the San Diego Chargers (4-1) dominated the New York Jets (1-4) for their fourth straight win.