Los Angeles Chargers Add Two Defensive Coaches to Staff

The Los Angeles Chargers have agreed to terms with Sean Spence as inside linebackers coach and Denzel Martin as assistant outside linebackers coach, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

At just 35 years old, Sean Spence most recently served as Western Michigan’s defensive ends/pass rush specialist in 2025 after coaching linebackers in 2024 and working as a special teams analyst in 2023. He now reunites with new Chargers defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary, who was Western Michigan’s defensive coordinator/safeties coach last season.

Spence helped Western Michigan edge rusher Nadame Tucker break out in 2025, recording 14.5 sacks, 55 total tackles (33 solo), four forced fumbles and one pass deflection after transferring from Houston for his senior season. He earned a 91.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranked seventh among 873 edge rushers, along with a 93.3 pass-rush grade.

He is also a former linebacker and was a third-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2012 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons in Pittsburgh (2012 to 2015), one with the Tennessee Titans in 2016 and was briefly with the Indianapolis Colts before returning to the Steelers for his final season in 2017. Over his career, Spence recorded 163 total tackles (111 solo), six sacks, five tackles for loss, three pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Denzel Martin had been under Mike Tomlin on the Steelers’ staff since 2016, most recently serving as outside linebackers coach. He has worked with players such as T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig during his tenure in Pittsburgh.

Martin helped Nick Herbig record career highs this past season with 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, along with 30 total tackles (21 solo), three forced fumbles, three pass deflections, an interception and a fumble recovery that he brought back for a touchdown.

Additionally, T.J. Watt has earned four First-Team All-Pro selections under Martin, including a 2021 campaign in which he tied the NFL’s previous single-season sack record with 22.5. Martin also helped Alex Highsmith break out in 2022, posting 14.5 sacks after logging just eight across his first two seasons.

Martin is a former linebacker at Missouri, where he played three seasons from 2012 to 2014. He began his coaching career as a recruiting graduate assistant for the Tigers in 2015, shortly after his playing days came to an end. He then joined the Steelers in 2016, working his way up from scouting assistant to coaching assistant to assistant outside linebackers coach before ultimately taking over as linebackers coach in 2023.