Ex-Chargers HC Anthony Lynn planned on taking year off before joining Lions

The Chargers decided to part ways with former head coach Anthony Lynn after the 2020 season.

Like most coaches after being let go of, Lynn had no intentions of remaining on the sidelines the following season.

However, Lynn’s mind quickly changed when Lions HC Dan Campbell offered him the offensive coordinator position.

“I was actually going to sit this year out, but when they called, I had to go because I wanted to be a part of that. I knew it was going to be special,” Lynn told Gilbert Manzano and Fernando Ramirez of the podcast, Compas on the Beat.

Back in 2005, when Lynn was a part of the Cowboys’ staff as their running backs coach, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Campbell were players.

“I got to know those two very well. They handled themselves like coaches as players,” Lynn said about Glenn and Campbell.

And so because coach [Bill] Walsh kind of picked me out and sat me aside and talked to me about coaching and it worked, I try to do the same thing with current players.

I just helped plant that seed — when you’re done playing, that’s something I think you should do. And I did that with Dan and Aaron Glenn.”

Lynn spent the past four seasons as Los Angeles’ head coach, going 33-31 before he was fired.

He led L.A. to a 12-4 record and a playoff victory in 2018, but he was unable to carry that success, going 5-11 in 2019 and under .500 in 2020.