The Los Angeles Chargers made the biggest coaching hire splash by signing Jim Harbaugh this week. Shortly thereafter, both the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns cropped up as interested parties in interviewing Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Previously to those teams, there wasn’t much noise around Moore, until now he had only interviewed with the Chargers.
Kellen Moore in 2023
Moore’s offense was ranked the lowest of his career as an offensive coordinator. The Chargers were ranked 21st in points and 18th in yards. Apart from one season in which Dak Prescott was injured, Moore’s offenses have always ranked in the top 10 and twice lead the league in points scored. And even with Andy Dalton as the starter, they finished 17th in points and 14th in yards.
Jim Harbaugh’s Influence
Harbaugh is known to be a CEO-type coach and will want to have institutional control from top to bottom. Nothing could be more important than who will be the top offensive coach. For his stint in San Francisco, he hired Greg Roman, who worked with him at Stanford. At Michigan, he employed co-offensive coordinators for a time. Last season it was Sherrone Moore, who is poised to fill the newly vacant head coaching position in Ann Arbor.
Because these interviews are for a lateral move, OC to OC, the request can be blocked. That fact that it hasn’t been blocked points towards either Moore wanting out or Harbaugh looking in a new direction. Either way, it seems unlikely that Moore will return to the Los Angeles Chargers.
