The Chargers are expected to announce their new General Manager at some point on Wednesday, which will in turn pave the way for them to narrow down their head coaching search and eventually hire Norv Turner’s replacement. While this process has taken a lot longer than I expected it to, it’s critical that the front office gets this right.

For the GM position, it’s widely assumed that the top two candidates are Tom Telesco (from Indianapolis) and in house favorite Jimmy Raye. Both have put together extensive time with their respective franchises and are strong candidates. And while Raye’s familiarity with the Chargers franchise is nice, my desire lies with Telesco. The Chargers are coming out of a hell of an age in franchise history, one with a lot of highs and even more lows. If they want to really start over as a franchise, the slate needs to be wiped completely clean. I can’t speak to what Raye will do with the position, but instinct would tell me that he’d follow what he’s been taught within the organization. Telesco, meanwhile, has certainly had the fortune of working within an organization that’s had a hallmark quarterback since he’s been there. He’s been part of a team that’s built a championship team entirely around that hallmark quarterback. Lo and behold, look what the Chargers have on their roster taking snaps from center…

As soon as the team decides on a general manager, they’ll then interview candidates to replace Norv Turner. Awesome. But who’s out there still? Andy Reid was a name that was immediately floated but the team never had any interest in him and he’s since landed in Kansas City. The team was rumored to have interest in former Syracuse coach Doug Marrone, but he’s also found a position with Buffalo. Chip Kelly has decided to stay in Eugene. So now what?

I like former Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt. Sure, Arizona was a dumpster fire this past season. But Whisenhunt has always built strong defenses with the Cardinals and took them to the Super Bowl with Kurt Warner. The Cardinals haven’t had a competent quarterback since that season, and Whisenhunt still managed to parlay a few decent seasons out of the Arizona roster. I think he got an unfair shake with management in Arizona.

Another popular name has been Bruce Arians. Here’s why I don’t like Arians; we’re quick to judge his work on his interim run with Indy and not in his past history. People forget how much Steelers fans hated Arians. Bubble screen after bubble screen after bubble screen. It even worked in Indy with their short and quick offense. The Chargers aren’t built for that, nor have they ever been built for that.

Lovie Smith is another name that may surface, although I’ve never been high on him and I feel like he, for the most part, underachieved with the Bears. John Gruden….no. Please no. And if they hire Jim Mora I’ll find some other team to root for.

With the amount of upcoming free agents, the aging of Philip Rivers, and the questions around a lot of positions, this will be a critical two hires for the Chargers. Here’s to hoping that they make the right decisions with who they choose. (they wont)

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