In news that has been expected for months, the San Diego Chargers have fired head coach Norv Turner and General Manager A.J. Smith.
Chargers owner Dean Spanos was widely believed to have made that decision fairly early in the 2012 season, and simply waiting until the end of the season to make the news official. On Monday the news became official when the team publicly announced the decision.
“I thank A.J. and Norv for the determination and integrity they brought to the Chargers each and every day,” Spanos said in a statement. “Both Norv and A.J. are consummate NFL professionals, and they understand that in this league, the bottom-line is winning. My only goal is the Super Bowl, and that is why I have decided to move in a new direction with both our head coach and general manager positions. I am committed to our great fans, and we will do whatever we possibly can to achieve that goal.”
Smith has been with the chargers since 2001, first as assistant general manager, and he was promoted to general manager in 2003 after John Butler died. The Chargers won the AFC West five times in Smith’s time with the team, but never got to the Super Bowl.
Turner has a 59-43 record as the Chargers’ head coach. Turner is widely expected to be a sought-after candidate to become an offensive coordinator on some other NFL team.