Spanos will fire both Smith and Turner
For months, if not years, it seemed like the A.J. Smith/Norv Turner situation was an either/or for the Chargers.
It appears it’s going to be both.
According to Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego, the decision has already been made by Chargers owner Dean Spanos to fire both his general manager and head coach.
Sources told Acee that Spanos decided on Turner’s fate “at least a month ago,” but has only recently “resigned himself to the fact that Smith can’t be kept in the current environment of plummeting performance and fan unrest.”
The fact he hasn’t done so yet is more of a preference to wait until the end of the season rather than an acknowledgement the Chargers still have a chance.
Acee reports that director of player personnel Jimmy Raye is the apparent replacement for Smith, while Turner’s replacement isn’t known yet.
The Chargers will owe Smith $4 million for his remaining two years and Turner $3 million for the final year of his contract.
Smith joined the team in 2002, Turner in 2007.