The Los Angeles Chargers have a new head coach in Jim Harbaugh, which means a new philosophy, personality, and constitution.
It is generally believed that they will become a more physical team that will rely more on running the football, not too much unlike Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers teams a decade ago.
They added yet another new member to their coaching staff on Friday by hiring Kiel McDonald to be their running backs coach, per James Palmer.
Chargers today announced the hire of Kiel McDonald as running backs coach
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) February 23, 2024
McDonald was a running backs coach at USC during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, where he had a hand in the success of Austin Jones and Travis Dye.
Before that, he served in that capacity for five seasons at the University of Utah, and he was once an intern with the 49ers in 2010.
He will join a team that could have a radically different look in the backfield for the 2024 season.
Austin Ekeler, their workhorse dual-threat running back, is about to become a free agent, and his chances of remaining with the Chargers don’t look good.
At the same time, there has been talk they may make a big splash in free agency by going after a star such as Saquon Barkley or Josh Jacobs.
Such a player could take plenty of pressure off quarterback Justin Herbert, who saw his numbers dip in 2023.
The Chargers have had one of the NFL’s weakest running attacks over the last few years, and one has to believe it will be a point of emphasis for them moving forward.
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