Sources close to Marty Schottenheimer and the San Diego Chargers said the coach was fired by the team Monday, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported.

Schottenheimer and Chargers general manager A.J. Smith have been having disagreements over staffing after losing a number of assistants. Dean Spanos, the team president, told Schottenheimer on Monday that it wasn't going to work between him and Smith.

Three days after the Chargers melted down in a stunning 24-21 playoff loss to New England, Spanos decided that bringing Schottenheimer back for the final year of his contract gave San Diego its best chance to win.

Schottenheimer, though, declined the team's offer of a one-year extension for 2008 worth $4.5 million, with a $1 million buyout.

"Right now, I wasn't comfortable accepting it," Schottenheimer told the Associated Press shortly after the season. He would have earned more than $3 million in 2007.

With a regular-season record of 200-126-1 with Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and San Diego, Schottenheimer is the most successful coach never to have reached the Super Bowl.

espn.com

Shit still wouldve gave him one more season...i mean after the year the Colts had 05-06 season then losing so early in the playoffs they rebounded really well this season with Tony D.....Chargers may never know what wouldve happened the next season and now with Wade and Marty gone with assistants as well they are gonna have to redo the entire coaching staff...not a good look after winning like 15 games.

Schottenheimer is notorious for losing in the playoffs, and the Chargers won 14 games not 15 either way it's still a good record but the regular season means nothing the only thing that matters is rings baby. Look at the Pistons last year, they had the best record but no one is going to remember that they only remember the champions.

Thats why i said like 15 games.... tony d was not so great in the playoffs either until this season... though marty may have been a worse overall record come playoff time tony has had just about the same team for like 4 seasons and marty for like 1 or 2....i jus feel it was unfair... they should have gave him another chance next season seeing that he did so great this year...

I understand what you sayin but Schottenhiemer has lost with many teams over the years, haven't you ever heard of Marty ball?

Marty ball was only in effect for like 3 gaems this year... as soon as they began to trust rivers he said fuck it and they started really tearing through teams on offense and defense.... marty ball was out the window for the rest of the year and im almost positive it wouldve stayed that way at the rate they were scoring ....they fucked up a good thing... hopefully the next coach can put it together like he did....and win in the playoffs......

I hope you right I wanna see Tomlinson get a ring