3 Candidates to Replace Jim Harbaugh as Chargers Coach on Hot Seat

Three candidates are already being discussed as potential replacements for Jim Harbaugh as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, with Harbaugh's seat now firmly hot after a disastrous Week 8 loss to the Rams.

The Chargers fell to 2-5 on the season after a 24-19 defeat at SoFi Stadium on October 31, 2026.

Quarterback Justin Herbert threw two interceptions in the loss.

Rams safety Quentin Lake did not hold back in his postgame assessment.

"He was throwing deli meat out there," Lake said, according to multiple reports.

The comment went viral.

Harbaugh was asked about Lake's remark during his next press conference.

He defended Herbert.

"I disagree with that," Harbaugh said, per NBC Sports.

But the damage was already done.

The loss dropped the Chargers to last place in the AFC West.

It also marked the third straight game in which Herbert threw multiple interceptions.

Herbert now has 10 interceptions on the season against just 8 touchdown passes.

That ratio is the worst of his five-year career.

The offensive line has allowed 28 sacks through seven games.

Injuries have decimated the receiving corps.

But the problems go deeper than personnel.

Multiple reports indicate frustration is growing inside the building.

According to Heavy.com, the Chargers front office is quietly evaluating options.

Three names have emerged as leading candidates to replace Harbaugh if the team decides to make a change.

The first candidate is offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

Roman has been with Harbaugh since their days at Stanford.

He followed Harbaugh to the San Francisco 49ers and later to Michigan.

When Harbaugh took the Chargers job in 2024, Roman came with him as offensive coordinator.

The offense has struggled under Roman this season.

It ranks 22nd in yards per game and 26th in scoring.

Critics say Roman's scheme has not adapted to the modern NFL.

Herbert has been under constant pressure.

The run game ranks 19th in the league.

Roman is seen as a continuity candidate — someone who knows the roster and the system.

But that same familiarity may be a liability.

The second candidate is defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

Minter came to the Chargers from Michigan, where he served as defensive coordinator under Harbaugh.

His defense has been the bright spot for the Chargers this season.

Los Angeles ranks 11th in total defense and 9th in points allowed.

Minter is considered one of the rising young minds in coaching.

He is 40 years old.

Several teams interviewed him for head coaching vacancies last offseason.

He turned down those opportunities to stay with the Chargers.

If Harbaugh is fired, Minter would be a natural interim candidate.

But some in the organization worry about promoting from within.

The third candidate is former New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen.

Allen has been out of coaching since being fired by the Saints in 2024.

He has a career head coaching record of 26-53.

That record includes a 8-28 stint with the Oakland Raiders from 2012 to 2014.

But Allen is respected as a defensive mind.

His defenses in New Orleans ranked in the top 10 three times.

He has 15 years of NFL coaching experience.

Allen interviewed for the Chargers job before Harbaugh was hired in 2024.

He made a strong impression on ownership at that time.

The Chargers have a bye week in Week 9.

That gives the front office time to evaluate the direction of the team.

Harbaugh acknowledged changes may be needed during his Tuesday press conference.

"We're looking at everything," Harbaugh said, per Bolt Beat.

He specifically mentioned the running back rotation as an area under review.

The Chargers are averaging just 3.8 yards per carry.

Running back J.K. Dobbins has been banged up.

Rookie Kimani Vidal has shown flashes but is still learning.

The offensive line has been shuffled due to injuries.

Left tackle Rashawn Slater missed two games with a pectoral strain.

Center Corey Linsley retired in the offseason.

The right guard position has been a revolving door.

Herbert has been sacked 28 times.

He has been hit 62 times.

That is the fourth-highest total in the NFL.

The schedule does not get easier.

After the bye, the Chargers face the Houston Texans, who have the league's third-ranked defense.

Then come the Baltimore Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

All three are playoff contenders.

All three have elite pass rushes.

If the Chargers lose those games, the calls for change will grow louder.

Harbaugh was hired in January 2024 on a five-year, $80 million contract.

He was brought in to turn around a franchise that had not won a playoff game since 2018.

The Chargers went 9-8 in Harbaugh's first season.

They missed the playoffs by one game.

That was seen as progress.

But 2026 was supposed to be the year the team took the next step.

Instead, they have regressed.

The defense has been respectable.

The special teams have been average.

The offense has been the problem.

Herbert, once considered a top-five quarterback, now looks like a shadow of himself.

His mechanics have broken down.

He is holding the ball too long.

He is making throws he never used to make.

The confidence seems shaken.

Lake's "deli meat" comment cut deep because it echoed what many around the league have been saying.

Harbaugh's response did not help.

He went to the podium and defended his quarterback.

That is what coaches do.

But he did not acknowledge the underlying issues.

He did not take responsibility for the offensive struggles.

He did not offer a plan for fixing things.

New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro wrote that Harbaugh "did no favors" to Herbert by deflecting.

NBC Sports noted that Harbaugh's defense came across as hollow given the results on the field.

Pro Football Network listed Harbaugh as the No. 2 coach on the hot seat after Week 8.

Only Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen ranked higher.

Steichen's Colts are 3-5.

Aaron Glenn of the New York Jets is No. 3 on that list.

The Jets are 2-6.

Harbaugh is in rare company.

He is a Super Bowl-winning coach.

He won a national championship at Michigan in 2023.

He is one of the most successful coaches of his generation.

But the NFL is a what-have-you-done-lately league.

And lately, the Chargers have done nothing.

The fan base is restless.

SoFi Stadium has been filled with opposing fans for several home games.

The Rams game was supposed to be a statement win.

Instead, it was a humiliation.

Herbert threw two interceptions.

The offense managed just 19 points.

The defense held the Rams to 24 points, but it was not enough.

After the game, Lake delivered the line that became the story.

"Deli meat."

Two words that captured everything wrong with the Chargers offense.

Soft. Sliced up. Easy to pick apart.

Harbaugh said he disagreed.

But the record says otherwise.

The Chargers are 2-5.

Herbert has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns.

The offense is broken.

And three candidates are already being lined up to replace the man who was supposed to fix it.

The bye week will tell us a lot.

If Harbaugh comes back with a win over the Texans, the noise will quiet down.