The Chargers interviewed several internal candidates to replace former defensive coordinator (and now Ravens head coach) Jesse Minter, but defensive line coach Mike Elston‘s name was not on the list.
That was not for a lack of interest on the team’s part. Elston revealed this week (via The Athletic’s Daniel Popper) that head coach Jim Harbaugh approached him about a promotion to DC, but he declined to interview for the job.
Elston, 51, has been Harbaugh’s defensive line coach for the last four years. At Michigan, he coached future first-rounders Mazi Smith, Mason Graham, and Kenneth Grant. In Los Angeles, his line anchored the Chargers’ top-10 defense in each of the last two years despite the team’s relative lack of investment in the unit.
That success naturally piqued Harbaugh’s interest when searching for Minter’s replacement, but Elston no longer has “aspirations of running a defense” and remains committed to working with the Chargers’ defensive line.
An unambitious coach is an underrated advantage in the NFL. If Elston turned down an interview for the Chargers’ DC job, he is probably not interested in moving to another team. As long as he remains in Los Angeles, the Chargers should have a solid defensive line without worry of their veteran coach being poached by another club.
Similar situation w/ the Eagles OL coach. He’s been there forever, & with excellent results annually. It would have to get old moving your family every 2-3 years. They’re making great money as well. The Eagles guy has a SB ring, maybe two. I forget if he was there their first one against the Pats. And this guy has a NCAA ring. Nice careers.
Don Barzini: “A refusal is not the act of a friend”.