San Diego Chargers Fire Norv Turner and A.J. Smith

Oh, happy day. The San Diego Chargers have made it official. Norv Turner has been fired from his duties as Head Coach, which was expected, and A.J. Smith has been fired from his duties at General Manager, which was less expected.

The fresh start that many have wanted, especially after San Diego has missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, is here. Whether that means the Chargers are moving in the right direction is debatable, but they're moving away from Norv and A.J., and that will be good enough for many.

Norv Turner ends his career in San Diego as the third-winningest Head Coach in franchise history, going 56-40 in seven season (and 3-3 in the playoffs). However, he was hired to get an above-average team over the hump and into the Super Bowl. Instead, the team backslid each year as talented players left and were replaced by average (at best) players. That, ultimately, doomed both Turner and Smith.

Where the Chargers go from here is anybody's guess. Some have speculated that Jimmy Raye, A.J. Smith's Assistant GM, will be promoted to the role of General Manager. The team is rumored to be looking for an "exciting" hire for Head Coach, but somebody with experience.

The new age of Chargers football is here. It's going to be a fun ride.