As the Chargers search for their next defensive coordinator, the best option may already be in the building. With continuity, player development and leadership in mind, Steve Clinkscale stands out as the logical choice.
As the Chargers continue their search for a new defensive coordinator, they’ve cast a fairly wide net. The team has interviewed several internal candidates—Steve Clinkscale (defensive backs), Adam Fuller (safeties), and Dylan Roney (outside linebackers)—along with external options like Zach Orr, Aubrey Pleasant and Dennard Wilson. It’s a solid list on paper, but the more this process unfolds, the more it feels like the best answer might already be in the building.
Hiring from within isn’t always the flashy move, but sometimes it’s the smart one. Continuity matters, especially on a defense that showed real growth over the course of the last couple of seasons. The Chargers weren’t perfect, but they were clearly playing faster, communicating better and buying into a more physical identity. That doesn’t happen by accident, and it doesn’t happen without strong position coaches laying the foundation.
Steve Clinkscale, in particular, stands out as a compelling option. Since arriving in Los Angeles, Clinkscale has been instrumental in stabilizing and developing the secondary. Chargers defensive backs have consistently played with better technique, discipline and confidence—something that was sorely lacking just a few seasons ago. Young players have improved, veterans have been maximized and the group as a whole has looked prepared week in and week out.
What makes Clinkscale especially intriguing is his familiarity with the roster and the system. He already knows what this defense does well and where it needs to improve. There would be no learning curve, no transitional growing pains and no risk of trying to force personnel into a scheme that doesn’t fit. For a team that believes it can compete right now, that matters.
Adam Fuller and Dylan Roney also deserve credit. Fuller has worked closely with the back end of the defense, and Roney has helped develop a young, athletic edge group that showed flashes of being disruptive. Both have upside, but Clinkscale’s track record and leadership presence give him a slight edge if the Chargers want a steady hand.
That’s not to dismiss the external candidates. Zach Orr brings buzz and a fresh perspective, while Aubrey Pleasant and Dennard Wilson have strong résumés and experience in respected systems. An outside hire could inject new ideas and energy into the defense. But with that also comes risk—new terminology, new philosophies and the possibility that things don’t click as smoothly as hoped.
Jim Harbaugh has consistently emphasized toughness, accountability and alignment across the organization. Promoting from within would send a strong message that performance and development are rewarded. It would also maintain the culture that’s already being built, rather than resetting it.
At the end of the day, the Chargers don’t need to reinvent the wheel defensively. They need consistency, trust and continued growth. Hiring from within—especially Steve Clinkscale—feels like the move that best supports all three. Sometimes the best hire isn’t the loudest one. It’s the one that makes the most sense.