San Diego Chargers hire Mike Nolan as linebackers coach

San Diego Chargers head coach Mike McCoy made a big time hire today. Former Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Nolan was announced as the replacement for Joe Barry as linebackers coach.

Mike Nolan's resume dwarfs that of your average linebackers coach. He has been coaching in the National Football League for 28 seasons. 17 of those were as a defensive coordinator and four others as a head coach. One of those defensive coordinator stints was in Denver at the same time that Mike McCoy was the offensive coordinator there.

Nolan broke into the NFL as a special teams/linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos in 1987 where he stayed for six seasons before taking his first defensive coordinator job with the New York Giants. He has remained a defensive coordinator for all but five seasons since, the four he spent as head coach of the 49ers and one season as a position coach in Baltimore.

This is an exciting hire and we'll have a more in-depth breakdown of his career later.